Dead Highways (Book 3): Discord
New Orleans. The city known for its architecture, fine cuisine, jazz, Mardi Gras...
And its dead highways.
Jimmy and his companions have traveled across the Gulf of Mexico to reach The Big Easy, all to search for Officer Robinson’s son. But navigating the dangerous city will be anything but easy. Pushed to the point of breaking, the group’s once solid structure will begin to crumble. Yet, even buried in the emotional rubble of their collective despair, hope is not completely lost. Could a sanctuary exist on the horizon?
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
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Dead Highways: Discord
Book 3 in the Dead Highways Series
Copyright © 2015 by Richard Brown
All rights reserved.
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Why me?
It was the first thing that went through my head.
Why did it have to be me?
Peaches had handed me Olivia, told me to make the decision—let her stay, or let her go—because she couldn’t do it. Then she sauntered off, tears in her eyes, and sat down at the other end of the dock. Her legs hung off the edge as she looked out at the Mississippi River. On the opposite side of the dock stood the rest of the group, waiting patiently for me to make a decision so we could get moving again.
I felt trapped, stuck in the middle between the woman who had fallen in love with the baby in my arms, and the rest of the group who thought Olivia should head back to Florida with Cathy and Brian. No matter what choice I made, somebody would think I made the wrong one. There was no getting around it, no easy way out.
Fortunately, I was in the majority. I still believed Olivia would be better off with Cathy and Brian, just like most of the group. But I wasn’t sure I had the guts to make that call. What would it do to Peaches? Would she forever resent the decision I made? Would she always wonder how things could have been if I had made a different choice?
Would I?
No doubt if Olivia stayed with us, she’d almost certainly be in danger. It was a sure thing. New Orleans was a big city with hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps even millions passing through, most of which were likely infected, just waiting to sink their teeth into any one of us. Of course, there was also no guarantee Olivia would be any safer in Cathy and Brian’s care. Perhaps they’d run into boat problems on the way back to Florida, end up stranded in the Gulf of Mexico. Or maybe they’d make it back okay, and then a month later their quiet idyllic neighborhood would be overrun by a horde of flesh-eating monsters migrating north up the coast.
The only thing that was certain in the world was uncertainty, and that had never been truer than in the world as it existed that day, sometime in April.
Peaches finally turned and looked back at me. Just a quick glance. The expression on her face was blank and unreadable. I figured she was surprised I hadn’t already delivered the baby to Cathy and Brian, given how hard I’d argued. Turns out, saying something should be done and actually following through with it, were two very different things.
I sighed and looked down at Olivia, asked her once more, “What am I gonna do with you?”
Just like before, she had no response. She couldn’t save me. She couldn’t save herself. At that moment, her life rested in my hands. She depended upon me to make the right choice, and I was sure I knew what the right choice was, but still I felt grounded. My feet wouldn’t move. I couldn’t bring myself to do it—to tear Olivia away from the only mother she ever knew. I had too much heart and too little guts.
Jax came up from behind and sat next to me. I knelt down to his level, and he proceeded to lick Olivia’s face with his sloppy dog tongue. Luckily, Olivia didn’t seem to mind. The shepherd had taken a liking to her over the past few weeks, always staying close by, often sleeping right next to her. He had assumed the role of her protector (even if he was just a love dog), and other than Peaches, Jax was probably the only other member of the group who would think I made the right choice in letting Olivia stay with us. His blessing made me feel slightly better.
Yeah, I was in a sad state of mind.
I began to zone out. Next thing I knew, Robinson was standing behind me, one chubby-fingered hand resting on my shoulder.
“We’re done unloading the supplies from the boat,” he said.
I nodded. “Okay.”
“You about ready?”
I took a deep breath, tried to force a smile. “Almost.”
Robinson looked across the dock at Peaches. “Is she gonna be okay?”
Peaches had been looking my way again, yet when she saw me notice her, she quickly returned her gaze back to the Mississippi. A light breeze swept in and blew back her curly blonde hair. I wanted her to turn around again—just once more—but she didn’t.
“I think so,” I finally said, standing up. “We’ll be over in a minute.”
Robinson shrugged. “No hurry. Take your time.”
He rejoined the rest of the group. His dog stayed glued to my side—to
Olivia’s
side.
He’d said for me to take my time, though I’d already wasted enough of everyone’s time. Cathy and Brian needed an answer so they could begin the long journey back toward Florida, even if the answer I would give them wasn’t the one they wanted to hear.
I headed across the dock. Jax followed close behind. Peaches had to have heard us coming, but she didn’t turn to greet us. She kept her focus on the muddy brown river water.
“You need to get up,” I said. “We’re gonna be leaving soon.”
She said nothing.
I’d try again, this time like less of a dick.
“Peaches, I’m sorry if I upset you. But everyone is waiting, and we should really get moving.”
Again. She said nothing.
I was talking to myself. The feeling wasn’t unusual.
It took me turning to walk away to get her to finally open up.
She crooked her head back. “Did you make a decision?”
I stopped. “Yeah.”
She turned back away from me. “Okay.”
“Don’t you want to know what it is?”
“I know,” she whispered.
“You think you know.” I looked down at Olivia squirming in my arms. She made a cute little burping sound. “Olivia is staying with us.”
And there it was. It’s a shame we didn’t have fireworks to celebrate.
I waited for her response, waited for her to jump up and tell me how happy she was that I did what she wanted.
Oh, thank you, thank you, Jimmy!
You’re the best around!
You make my dreams come true!
You make the stars at night shine bright!
I waited.
Any moment.
But she stayed sitting, quiet, her head turned toward the river. When I realized she had nothing left to say to me, I sighed and walked away.
Feeling confused.
Confused and...
