New Title 1 (28 page)

“
Daylon,” I said.

We watched as the vehicles approached the gate then entered. After a last look around, we headed down the fire escape. I was coughing from the congestion in my chest by the time we reached the street. Ashleigh had her arms hugged around her shivering body and was stamping her feet on the ground. “Mother of God it gets cold here.”

“
This is only the beginning. In another few weeks, we could go skating on the reservoir.”

“
Oh yes, I can just imagine gliding along and having a zombie arm break through the ice and pull me under. I wonder if they’re still splashing around in there.” She paused then added, “I’m sorry about Fes. That was a rotten way to go.”

I nodded. It was impossible to believe I’d never see the guy again or hear one of his football stories. Although we’d never had much in common and he’d tried to drive off Ashleigh, Mike Fessenden had been a part of my life. A friend. I would miss him more than I’d ever expected to.

“
I’m sorry about your friend, Carl,” I said.

A car pulled up beside us and I sighed when Janice Myers got out of it, but I greeted her and shook her hand as if there weren’t any bad feelings between us.

“
Congratulations. You all did amazing work last night,” she said, pushing a strand of her salt and pepper hair back into place. “A bit destructive, but you saved the town.”

And there it was, always a grain of sand in the sugar.

She got down to business. “How much fuel oil is left in the tanker?”

“
I don’t know. Enough to last for a while.”

“
What about casualties? Do you have a count yet?” She gazed at me with such composure she might have been inventorying stock instead of people who’d died.

“
I don’t know. I’ve been unconscious for a while. I’ll get right on it and write you a report,” I retorted dryly.

Ashleigh suddenly stepped between me and Janice and got right up in her face. “What were
you
doing last night? While we were out being destructive and saving the town, where were you and your council?”

“
There were plenty of things to tend to here. People had questions. I managed the town as I always do.”

“
How nice for you, safe and snug in your fortress, ordering people around and then tucking yourself into bed for a good night’s rest.”
You arrogant, selfish old bitch.
Ashleigh might as well have said the words aloud they were so clear in her tone.

“
I was available to whoever needed me at all times, even when I was at home.”
You smart-mouthed little brat.
Janice’s taunt was also practically audible. “Brian made it clear he wished to oversee his plan so I gave him free reign to do so.”

“
And now that he’s done your dirty work, you’re grabbing the reins again with both hands.”

“
My dear, I never let them go.”

Ashleigh waved her hand in Janice’s face, ghetto style. “Oh, that’s it. We don’t have to listen to this bullshit, Brian. We’re outta here.” She grabbed my hand.

“
Goodbye, Ms. Myers.” I couldn’t keep from smiling even though it made my frozen lips crack. Ashleigh was cute as hell when she was pissed off and defending me. I let her lead me down the sidewalk, but before we got very far Daylon’s van approached from the other direction.

He stopped beside us and got out. His brown face was blood-streaked and his eyes were set in dark hollows. Daylon looked like he might collapse. Janice joined us to listen to what he had to say.

“
The mop up crew is about done. We estimated fifteen to twenty people dead and about a dozen wounded. The vet’s doing triage at the front gates but we need to move them some place.”

“
The wounded must be quarantined,” Janice said.

Daylon barely flicked a glance at her. “Yes. We’re aware.”

“
Four people are already in the jail and Mary’s setting up more rooms,” I told him.

“
Good. What about you? How are you feeling?”

“
Better. Sorry I passed out on you and thanks for everything you’ve done.”

He tipped his head in acknowledgment. “I checked on the reservoir. The water’s full of bodies and none of them are moving. Don’t know if they’re completely dead or in some sort of hibernation mode from the cold, but we can check that out later. They’re not going anywhere.”

I pictured a pool full of corpses, with Fes floating among them, and blinked to rid myself of the image.

“
We’d better tell them what to do with the wounded,” I said. “I’ll deal with that if you want to get some sleep.”

“
Nonsense,” Janice interrupted. “It’s clear all of you are dead on your feet. Go home and rest. I’ll make arrangements.”

My gut instinct was to disagree with anything she said, but as annoying as she was, Janice wasn’t an enemy. She knew how to manage people and get things done. Let her do the bureaucratic crap she was good at so long as the power didn’t go to her head.

Even Daylon didn’t seem inclined to argue with her. “I’ll give you a ride. Get in,” he said to me and Ashleigh.

But before I headed to the van I looked at Janice once more. “I haven’t forgotten our deal. I’ll keep my end of the bargain and leave town.” I paused, giving her a moment to swell with victory. “But I’ll be coming back with supplies and the anti-virus. I’m not abandoning these people or being driven away from my home.”

My announcement was followed by silence. The woman’s nostrils flared slightly, the only outward sign of her displeasure, before she inclined her head. “I’m sure everyone will be grateful for whatever you can do. If you’re able to secure a person with medical experience as well as doses of the anti-virus, it would be good.”

I nearly smiled at her response. Whatever someone suggested, she had to amend or enhance.

Satisfied that she’d bestowed her stamp of approval, Janice held out her hand to shake mine. “Be careful out there. I hope you return safely and soon. I mean that, Brian.” She pulled out her phone and hurried toward the administration building.

“
What was that about?” Ashleigh asked. “When did you make an agreement with her?”

“
Long story. I’ll explain later.” I was suddenly too tired to string more than a couple of words together.

Ashleigh didn’t push it even though I could tell she wanted to—yet another thing I liked about her—and Daylon kept quiet too. We got into the van and Daylon drove back to my house.

We trudged inside and went to wash off the grime and gore of battle. I’d powered down the generator before leaving so the water was unheated and our showers fast. The air was chilly too and Ashleigh and I rushed to get under a pile of covers. There was no reason to heat an entire house so I’d put space heaters in various rooms. Soon, my bedroom warmed up and underneath the blankets our bodies warmed each other.

“
How are you feeling?” she asked, rubbing her hand over the stubble on my jaw.

“
Better.” I closed my eyes and felt her gentle touch and the press of her body against mine. Warmth swelled inside me, not the physical kind but a glow of contentment. “Happy.”

“
Me too. And feeling guilty that I feel happy with all the people we’ve lost.”

“
I don’t think they’d want you to feel bad.” I opened my eyes and looked into her pale blue ones. “It’s all right to celebrate being alive.”

“
Good. ‘Cause I do. I feel like dancing and singing.”

“
Dancing?” I raised an eyebrow.

She smacked my arm. “Not the pole kind, you perv. Is sex all guys ever think about?”

“
Not
all
. I’d like to hear you sing too. Sing something now.”

She was quiet for a moment then began to sing in a husky contralto a song I didn’t know about finding love after loss.

I closed my eyes and listened. The melody and smoky tone of her voice wrapped around me and coupled with the cold tablet I’d taken, drugged me into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When I awoke later, I was alone in bed. The smell of coffee drifting up from the kitchen teased my nose. I crawled out of the cocoon of blankets, pulled on some clothes and ran a comb through my hair, but there was no fixing the wild spikes and flattened spots from my pillow. It was late afternoon. I’d slept most of the day and felt a hundred percent better for it.

My stomach grumbled as other smells joined the scent of coffee. I hurried down to the kitchen.

Daylon and Ashleigh sat at the center island, eating plates of eggs, toast and bacon. I knew the eggs were powdered and the bacon was some soy concoction, but I was ready to devour anything.

“
Feeling better?” Ashleigh asked.

“
Much. Thanks.” I accepted the plate of food she offered and wolfed it down.

“
Now, what’s the story with you and Myers?” Daylon said. “What about this deal?”

“
She hid the tanker and wasn’t going to tell me where unless I agreed to clear out after this was all over. So I’m keeping my promise and leaving. But for the good of the town, I’m bringing back vaccine and supplies for the winter.”

“
You think even if you’re find a place where it’s available they’re going to let you take enough for an entire town?”

“
Yes I do. I don’t think the government’s purposely ignoring small towns, but they don’t have the resources to help them all so it’s up to the people to go out and get what they need.”

Ashleigh was being unusually quiet and staring at the toast crumbs on her plate.

“
What are you thinking?” I asked.

“
I was hoping we could stay here. I like this town and not being on the move. I was hoping for a break. But if you’re determined to do this, I’m with you.”

“
You don’t have to,” I reached across the table to touch her hand. “You can stay. I’ll be back.”

She stared into my eyes. “You can’t promise that and I couldn’t bear to keep waiting and wondering if you were going to make it home. I
have
to go with you. We’re a team now.”

For the first time I realized getting involved with someone was like adding a new variable to an equation. My decisions weren’t just mine any more. They impacted Ashleigh because she cared about me. There was more than myself to consider. It was unsettling but comforting, too.

“
Yeah, we’re a team,” I agreed. “We work well together.”

“
You need a group to be safe out there,” Daylon said. “There’s me, Ashleigh, Aaron and Tanesha and we can probably roust up some others who’d want to go on a mission like this. We should take motorcycles for better gas mileage and maneuverability. We can get a truck or van when we need one on the road.”

I hadn’t considered such details yet since the idea of going on a quest for vaccine had only recently occurred to me. “There are a few people I could talk to about going.”

“
Tomorrow,” Ashleigh cut in. “For the rest of today you take it easy and get better.”

“
All right. One day in bed.” I smiled at her, but I was already feeling much better and hoped to be doing a lot more in bed than resting.

The tornado siren went off, its blare sending a jolt of alarm through me before I realized it was three blasts—the call to a town meeting.

“
Myers.” Ashleigh turned the name into a curse. “What does that bitch want now?”

It was tempting to blow off the meeting but something important might have happened. We dressed in heavy coats against the arctic wind which was scouring the ground clear of last night’s snow and headed for the town hall.

People were coming from all directions and they greeted us with handshakes, high fives and congratulations. Feeling like a politician, I nodded and smiled and reminded everyone it was a team effort that had saved the town.

Every seat in the hall was filled and people leaned against the walls, filling the air with chatter and the odor of warm bodies. At the front of the room, Janice, Barry, Nancy and the other two council members were seated. Janice approached the podium and held up her hands Evita-style for silence. Pretty soon the clamor died down so she could be heard.