What Remains_Reckoning (2 page)

Hamilton joined in from the left, systematically eliminating anything that got past Gunner and Wolfe. The man never flinched, knifing one when it appeared from behind the truck.

Gunner waved at the kid behind the wheel. “Get that sorry piece of shit moving before we’re out of ammo.”

The kid stared at him, seemingly frozen until Ham banged on the side of the vehicle.

“You heard him. Find the damn gas pedal and get the hell out of here. We can’t hold them off forever.”

A loud screeching noise sounded over the grunts as the kid ground the gears, finally popping it into first. The truck jerked forward, nearly stalling before the engine revved high and the tires bit into the gravel. Rocks and dirt shot out behind the wheels as the vehicle moved ahead, knocking down more zombies as they raced out of the woods.

Gunner waved at Hamilton, covering the man’s ass as he followed the truck up the road, scanning every direction as they headed for the gate. The kid blew the horn when he neared the enclosure, skidding to a halt again.

Wolfe moved in beside Gunner as they stopped beside the tailgate. “He’s going to bring every fucking infected within earshot to our location if he lays on that damn horn again.”

Gunner cursed. “Tell me something I don’t know. Did you see his face? Couldn’t be more than seventeen. And he looked as if he’s never seen a horde before. What the fuck is up with these people?”

“Beats the hell out of me. But if we’re not going to follow the truck inside, we need to retreat to somewhere far safer than this damn road. Now.”

Gunner waved Hamilton back to him as he moved along the side of the truck, stopping when he reached the gate. He glanced at the people manning the locks, raising a brow in question. The two guys simply stood there, staring, until a tall man dressed in a white shirt and kakis approached them, laying a hand on each of their shoulders. He nodded, motioning them to open the gates as Wolfe and Hamilton dropped another group of infected racing for the fence line.

Gunner whistled, signaling the two men to join him as the truck lurched forward, quickly gaining entry. Gunner took a deep breath then darted through, going just far enough to clear the gate before pulling up short. He stood his ground, staring at the man who’d granted them sanctuary, wondering if he’d just sentenced his friends to death as Hamilton and Wolfe moved in, flanking him.

The guy watched them, a smug smile lifting one corner of his mouth as the truck disappeared behind a building, nothing but dust swirling through the air. He sized them up, nodding at the other men again. Gunner glanced over his shoulder, making eye contact with Wolfe.

Wolfe inched forward, scanning the compound as he leaned in. “I’ve got the three on the right. Ham’s got the two behind us. That leaves pretty boy to you.”

“Only one? You guys trying to tell me something?”

Wolfe chuckled as the man in question walked toward them, his gait steady, relaxed. He stopped a foot away, once again openly sizing them up. He didn’t seem that concerned as he eyed their weapons, allowing the palm of one hand to fall to the hilt of the pistol strapped around his hips.

He extended the other to Gunner. “That was quite the show. By the looks of it, you boys have been fighting these abominations for some time.”

Gunner shook the man’s hand. Firm, but he had no doubt he could take the guy if needed. Though he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. From what he could see, the place had food, water and a healthy dose of guns. “I suspect anyone still breathing has been fighting these things for some time.”

“But not all of us have MK14s.”

“Or Glocks like the one you’re carrying.” Gunner nodded toward the man’s hip. “Police issue model from what I can tell. I’m guessing you were the local sheriff before…”

The man’s lips twitched followed by a slow smile. The kind that made Gunner’s skin crawl. There was definitely something off about these men, but until he and the boys knew for sure, they couldn’t risk reacting. People were scarcer than supplies, and god knows they needed to make an effort to save every life they came across.

“You know your guns. I’m even more impressed now than the way you three cut down those monsters. The name’s Keller. Beau Keller.”

“Gunner Hansen. This is Wolfe Bridges and Hamilton Phillips.”

Beau barely gave the other men a glance, his focus completely on Gunner. “You look like you could use a meal.” He motioned toward where the truck had disappeared. “Come. Eat. Give us time to get to know each other better. Discuss our place in this new order.”

“That’s mighty neighborly of you. And something other than ration packs would be great. We appreciate the offer.”

That disturbing smile lifted Beau’s mouth again as he spun on his heels, heading for the buildings a few hundred yards off.

Wolfe shouldered up beside Gunner. “New order? Damn, I hate when I’m right.”

“You haven’t earned that twenty bucks just yet.” He paused as the other men closed ranks around them. “But shit if it’s not looking that way.” He glanced at Hamilton, telling the man all he needed to know with a tilt of his head. “It’d be rude to keep our host waiting.”

Wolfe snorted, his movements sharp. The man had always been able to read people better than anyone Gunner knew, and the fact Wolfe apparently felt as much unrest as he did made Gunner jumpy. Fuck, he really didn’t want to have to shoot any of these folk. They didn’t seem all that crazy.

He walked along the well-worn path, up a slight rise, noting the series of outbuildings. A large homestead sat far off to their right, the log building impressive in both size and condition. Three substantial looking barns sat in a semi-circle around the place and the windows fronting the home were boarded over. He scanned the doors, cursing inwardly at the padlocks gracing two of the wooden structures. Based on the size, they were definitely keeping people out. Or maybe keeping something in. Whichever it was, the mere sight of them ratcheted up his senses until his skin tingled with awareness. A muffled voice drifted along the breeze, but it vanished before he could pinpoint the source.

They rounded the side of one of the barns and were greeted by a collection of tables and grills. An awning kept the seating area free of sun and rain, blanketing the space in deep shadows. Beau stood behind the chair at the head of the table, his dark silhouette just visible.

He motioned to the surrounding chairs. “Please. Sit.”

Gunner eyed the arrangement, choosing the seat that afforded him the best sight lines for the surrounding rooftops. That’s what they’d have to be the most vigilant of. Snipers could take them out before they’d had a chance to offer any form of resistance. Wolfe and Hamilton followed suit, positioning themselves as strategically as possible. Though with the rest of Beau’s men fanning out around the table, isolating themselves was next to impossible. Gunner glanced at his friends, noting the stiff line of Wolfe’s back. The man wasn’t happy with the arrangements. Not that Gunner could blame him. They were setting themselves up as easy targets. And they all knew it.

Beau pulled out his chair and slid into it, waving at someone over Gunner’s shoulder. He turned, his breath lodging tight in his chest as he watched two women shuffle out from the one barn that wasn’t locked, platters held tight in their hands. They didn’t speak as they placed the dishes on the table, heads bowed, their movements noticeably submissive. Gunner tried to make eye contact, but the woman closest to him never glanced his way, giving Beau a curtsy before moving several paces behind the men.

Beau grinned approvingly then waved at the covered plate. “Please. Help yourselves.”

Gunner held his breath as he reached for the handle, praying he wouldn’t find a severed head or hand beneath the metal cover. He forced himself to swallow then removed the lid, sighing in relief when only meat and vegetables covered the ceramic dish. His gaze slid to Beau, and he could tell the man had more than read his thoughts.

Beau chuckled. “From the look on your faces, I have to assume you thought we were cannibals or the like. What were you expecting? A head?”

Gunner offered him an easy grin. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say it’d crossed my mind.”

“I’m sure I’d assume the worst, as well, if I were the one having to trust a stranger.” Beau spooned some food onto his plate. “I assure you. We’re not crazy, and we’re not in the practice of eating our guests.”

“Good to hear.” He helped himself to some of the food. “Quite the place you’ve got here. High fences. Barbed wire. Supplies.” He nodded at the barns. “Plenty of housing, too. How many of you live here?”

Some of the other men glared at him, turning to stare at Beau. They obviously didn’t appreciate Gunner’s question. The other man merely held up a hand, silently telling them to relax.

Beau grinned. A flash of white in the shadows. “There’s about thirty of us. A few younger members as you saw with the incident with the truck. It was Chad’s first run into town for more supplies. He hasn’t encountered those bastards in the numbers that were out today. Boy panicked a bit. Which reminds me…we appreciate you stepping up and coming to his aid. Says a lot about a man when he’s willing to help out a stranger.”

“Your hospitality is more than enough thanks. Though you might want to tell the kid to keep his speed up next time. And to lay off the horn. The sound draws them like flies and these faster ones aren’t as easy to kill.”

Beau’s expression sobered. “So you’ve noticed the changes in them.”

“They’re hard to miss. Especially when they’re chasing your ass. They climb damn good, too. Though you seem to be prepared for that.”

“Thankfully, they don’t seem to be able to get over the wire. Though we keep a constant vigil just in case.”

“Nothing like teamwork to keep a camp functioning smoothly.” He coughed on a piece of carrot.

Beau cocked his head to the side. “How rude of me.” He snapped his fingers. “Anna. Water for our guests.”

The woman who’d served the food darted forward, stopping next to Gunner. She didn’t talk, just reached out and grabbed his glass, filling it with water. Gunner glanced at her wrists, his gaze lingering on the patterns bruising her skin. Ham cursed quietly beside him and Gunner knew the man had noticed the marks. The woman filled the other glasses then retreated, standing back behind Beau. Her focus remained on the ground, her long blonde hair covering most of her face.

Beau followed Gunner’s stare, looking at the woman before offering him a wide smile. “You’ll have to forgive Anna. She hasn’t been the same since her husband died a year ago. The man got eaten right in front of her. As you can imagine, that’s not an easy trauma to come back from. We’ve discovered that routine chores help her cope.”

“No, I imagine not. Though it doesn’t quite explain the bruises on her wrists.”

Beau’s smile faltered slightly. “She suffers from hallucinations and severe depression. She’s tried to harm herself more than once. We have to restrain her at night…for her own protection, of course.”

“Of course.” Gunner swallowed more of the vegetables. “Are there only the two women residing here? I haven’t seen any others.”

Beau placed his fork beside his plate, lacing his fingers together as he rested his chin on his knuckles. “We’ve got eight women living here. And I’m sure you’ll understand when I tell you we’re very protective of them. Until we’re certain the three of you don’t pose any kind of threat, we tend toward caution.”

“Seems only proper. And we aren’t…a threat.”

Wolfe coughed, offering his apologies and a lame ass excuse of choking on his water as he shot Gunner a knowing look. Gunner merely smiled back at the man, all too aware of the unspoken pledge. They weren’t a threat unless they discovered these men weren’t what they seemed. And if the bruises on Anna’s wrists were the result of abuse, they’d definitely become far more than a simple threat.

Beau studied Gunner for several moments before nodding. “If that’s true then you won’t mind answering a few questions.”

“What would you like to know?”

“How about we start with the easy stuff? Where are you gentlemen from?”

Gunner released a weary breath, leaning back in the chair as if the question had weakened him. “No one place in particular, unfortunately. We were part of a group in the beginning, but it’s hard to maintain control when you have different ideas of how a camp should be run. We eventually had to leave. Been traveling ever since, holing up in any place that seemed safe. We’ve been fairly lucky. Lots of places a small group can call home for a while and be relatively safe.” He glanced at the fence line. “That was until these creatures seemed to evolve.”

Beau huffed, banging a fist on the table. “They’re a curse from the depths of Hell. This isn’t evolution. It’s revelation.”

Warning bells rang in Gunner’s head, and he purposely ignored Wolfe’s hushed curse. God, he hated when Wolfe was right.

Gunner plastered on a phony smile. Regardless of the group’s beliefs, the three of them needed to assess the bigger picture. Decide if there was any possibility that their communities could merge and not have it erupt into a bloody battle. Even then, the decision was up to the council. Though there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d bring a threat back to the complex. Mission or not.

Beau seemed to take his silence as a form of acceptance and gave him a genuine smile. “Glad to see we’re on a similar page. So tell me…what are your plans?”

Gunner spared Hamilton and Wolfe a quick glance, assessing their readiness to continue along with the investigation. “Guess that depends. Sure would be nice to have a safe place to sleep for a few nights. Though we’re prepared to walk out that gate if need be.”

Beau surveyed the other men, though it seemed mostly for show. There was no doubt in Gunner’s mind that this was a dictatorship, not a democracy. And he had a bad feeling that those who went against Beau or any other leader figure in the camp suffered extreme consequences.

Beau motioned to the barn Anna had appeared out of. “There’s a loft in that barn. If that suits you and your men, you’re welcome to stay. We’ll see how things roll for a few days then reassess.”