Outbreak The Living (The Outbreak Series) (14 page)

Looking over at Hank, he seems to be watching everything going on. Looking out into the yard, the boys are all back together again. Laughing and talking. Punching Nate on the shoulder, Mack is sitting there listening to them and smiling. He looks up at me and smiles. Well, it is starting to get dark, I guess it’s time to have the meeting.

“Hank, want to tell everyone it’s time for the meeting. That way we can have time afterward to do whatever.”

“Sure can, Egypt. Where we having it?” he asks.

“Who’s in the command center keeping watch?”

“That would be Jim tonight,” he answers.

“OK, let’s have it there. I’m going to run to my office first," I say walking into the house. My mom asks if I’m OK and I tell her I am. Looking into the living room, all the kids are watching a movie. I think it is
Finding Nemo
. I used to watch that with my boys ‘Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.’ Grinning to myself, I head to my office. The main bathroom is open for a change. All the other doors are closed even mine. Opening it up, I see candles and flowers all over the place. Shutting the door, I slowly move to the center of the room, turning around in a circle they are everywhere. This had to be Mack. Walking over to the bed there is a box of chocolates and a note. Sitting down I unfold it and read it. ‘Tonight’ that’s all that’s on it.

Shaking my head, I put the note back and head to the office. Turning on the light, I walk over to the desk and grab my papers, also making sure I have my pen. I turn off the light and head out. This is not a happy meeting. There is tons to do before winter gets here and we need to talk about it all. Making my way out into the hallway, I shut my door and head back the way I came. Stopping in the kitchen, I give my aunt a hug and head to the meeting. Everyone is there, including Liam and Nate. This is a first, but we will need all the help we can get. Sal is here and Pete’s sitting next to him. He is another problem we are going to have to watch. I really do not know what to do with him at this point.

Walking over to the loveseat, I sit down next to Mack. He already has a pop waiting for me. I smile over at him. He just winks and chuckles.

“OK, we have a lot to talk about, so we need to get started. What we say in here stays in here. At this point, I don’t think there’s a need to worry everyone.” Looking around the room everyone has the same grim face.

“Well, first off we need to talk about the zombies. I do feel they are coming this way. And we are in trouble. I don’t think those fences will hold up to thousands of zombies pushing against them. So we need to reinforce all the walls on all sides.” I look around the room and everyone starts talking at once. I sit back and listen to what everyone is saying.  Finally, it quiets down so I take that opportunity to jump in.

“Any suggestions on how we can do that?”

“We can add to the fences with thicker poles and metal sheeting,” Sal says.

“OK, where are we going to get it and how long will it take to do this? You've seen the horde we’re up against.”

“Three weeks tops, and that’s with everyone helping,” he says. “We can go to the steel yard and get what we need."

Shaking my head, I look around the room, my eyes land on Hank.

“OK Sal, you will have four guys to go with you. I will need at least four to go with me,” I say looking at Sal.

“What are you thinking, Egypt?” asks Hank.

“We need to hit the armory and get all that we can. We’re going to need it.”

"I think that’s an excellent idea, Egypt,” Hank says smiling.

I let everyone talk amongst themselves and just listen. There’s a lot to be done and not a lot of time to do it.

“Hank, with what you saw, how long do you think until the zombies are on us?” I ask.

“I’d say we have a month to do everything and then we need to behind these walls and wait it out,” he says.

“We also have to consider the things we have to do to be ready for winter. I think tomorrow morning we need to have the whole family together for a family meeting. It’s going to take everyone to get all this done.”

"I agree, it’s going to be a lot of work in the weeks ahead,” Hank says.

“Sal, your team is Todd, Jim, Don, and Gary. You all right with that?”

“Yep, sure am. When we heading out?” he asks.

“You can go out after the meeting in the morning if you want to. That is if you guys can come up with a plan. Run it by me tonight if you can.”

“Yep, will do,” he says as he’s heading out the door. Watching him leave I know he’s going out to find the guys and get to planning, looking at the others.

"I’ll take Mack, Hank, Pete, and Liam. Nate, you OK staying here and running things?” I ask.

“You bet, Mom. I’ll have Chris and Zack help me with some of the things if that’s OK?” he asks.

“You’re in charge, so you make the decisions.” Looking over at him he has a black eye starting to form as well as a cut on his bottom lip. Shaking my head, I dismiss everyone and stay where I am at as everyone leaves. I tell Nate to let Chris, Zack and Sally know where they will be staying. With that off the list, it frees me up for the night. Stopping Pete “Hey can you check on Tabby, see how she’s doing? Let me know?” I ask him as he’s making his way to the kitchen door.

“You bet, Egypt,” he says. With that, he heads into the house and it’s just Mack and me in the room. 

“I’ve got a few things to do before bed this evening. Meet you in our room in a few hours?” he asks grinning. Wrapping my arms around him, I lean in for a kiss. He doesn’t disappoint either. After what seems like ten minutes we lean apart.

“I’ll be in my office. See ya later,” I say getting up to head to the house. I hear Mack laughing behind me as the door shuts. Mom and Aunt Nancy are in the kitchen. It looks like they are planning dinners for the next week. Walking over to them, I sit down and wait until they are finished.

“Hey, can you guys get me a copy of the goods that we have, and if we’re getting low on anything. We will be going out a lot these next few weeks and we need to be really stocked. I know we're not hurting for anything, but just being safe. It’s going to be a long and cold winter.”

“Yes, we can do that. We can have it ready for you in a few days if that’s OK?” Aunt Nancy asks.

“Yep, that fine,” I tell them both I love them and head to my bedroom.  The dogs are running around my feet as we make our way to the door. Opening it up, I get a huge wash of warm air that smells like wildflowers and clean cotton. Shutting the door behind me, I don’t need to turn the lights on because of all the candles that are burning. I love the feel of no lights on and just candles.  Opening the patio door, the dogs run out. I leave it open and head to the office.  Going to my desk, I start getting the stuff done that needs to be done.  There is a knock on the office door; looking up its Hank.

“Come on in, Hank.” Finishing up what I was doing I look up at Hank.

“I think you had some great ideas tonight, Egypt. Have you figured out everything?" he asks.

Handing him the papers, he sits back and starts looking over them.  Getting up, going to my bedroom, I make both of us a cup of hot tea.  Walking back in, I hand him a cup and go sit at my desk. Looking at the clock it’s already 9 pm. I’ve been in the office a little over two hours.  Hank hands me the papers back and takes a drink of his blueberry tea.

“I think it all looks good. So you planning on going to the armory the day after tomorrow? We going to leave first thing in the morning?" he asks.

“Yeah, I think that will be best. Right before dawn that way we have all day if we need it.”

“OK, Egypt, I’m heading to bed. I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast and then the meeting. Hey, maybe we can make a run to the orchards to get some apples and have the ladies can them? We have tons of canning things left over from the garden,” he says.

“Yeah, I don’t see why not. Maybe we can take the older kids with us.”

“OK, see you in the morning,” Hank says shutting the door behind him. I hear their door open and close. There is another knock on the door and this time it is Sal. I really don’t want to be with him alone, but I need to know what is going on.

“Hey, after the meeting we’re going to head out and start getting the supplies. The sooner we get it, the faster we can build it,” he says.

“OK, thanks for letting me know. I’ll see you at the meeting in the morning,” I say, hoping he will take the hint and leave. But what guy ever gets it.

“Egypt, I’m sorry about the fight with Nate,” he starts to say, but I don’t let him finish.

“Just stop, Sal. If you ever raise a hand to one of my kids, I’ll shoot you.” I shut the door in his face and walk into my bedroom. I need a shower. Grabbing some clothes, I head into the bathroom and turn the shower on. Taking off my clothes, I step in and wash my hair and do all the things I need to. Not wanting to stay in, I hurry up and dry off. Brushing my hair, I leave it down to dry. Taking my dirty clothes, I throw them in the hamper. I walk over to the patio door and decide to go sit outside for a while. I love the sounds of the fountain. The dogs run over and jump up to sit with me.

Leaning my head back, I just relax and listen to the sounds around me. I hear the kids screaming and playing before they have to go to bed. The soothing sound of the water hitting the other tiers and making its way down the fountain is relaxing. The fire in the back yard is crackling and hissing. The people around it are talking softly. I hear the shower in my room turn on and smile. Mack is here. Lifting my head, I watch the dogs for a while. Mack comes out with his hair all wet and in only a pair of boxers. Now that’s sexy as hell. He is carrying something in his hand. He sits down next to me with that sexy grin.

“What’s up, Mack?” I ask.

He clears his throat. “Egypt, we need to make us official. I talked to the boys and they agreed.” He stands and gets in front of me on one knee. Holy shit, I know where this is leading.

“I don’t care what’s going on around us. I want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” he asks huskily. Looking at him, I see my soul mate, the man of my dreams. And I love him.

“Yes, Mack, I’ll marry you,” I whisper. He opens the tiny box and inside is a huge diamond with little blue diamonds going around it. He takes it out of the box and slips it onto my finger.  Wrapping my arms around his neck, he kisses me. I hear Rufus growl and Mack flinches. Breaking off the kiss, he looks at his arm and then at Rufus.

“That little shit just bit me,” he says shocked. I start laughing and cannot stop. That is my boy, he always bites at the wrong time. Growling, Mack picks me up and starts for our bedroom. Mack is yelling and swearing with Rufus on his heels, nipping at his ankles. He jumps on the bed with me in his arms. He glares down at Rufus and Rufus just growls right back. I’m laughing so hard that my stomach hurts.

Mack starts kissing me and I get dizzy. I will never get tired of this man. His hands are all over me, inside of me. That by the time I flip over, I am shaking with need. Trailing kisses down his chest, I take him fully into my mouth. I feel him shudder as I suck harder. I swirl my tongue around the tip and start to kiss my way back up. Straddling him, I slowly have him enter me one delicious inch at a time. When we cannot take any more, he lifts his hips off the bed, slamming the rest of the way inside me.

Moaning, I start to rock my hips grinding into him. Grabbing my waist, he lifts me up and pushes me back down hard. He fills me completely. Whimpering, I do not think I can take any more. Picking up my pace, I feel my climax coming on hard. Breathing hard, I clench and let loose. Moaning his name, he sits up and keeps thrusting inside me. He is pushing me down on him hard when I feel his release. We stay that way for a while, too tired to move. My legs feel like they are going to fall off.

Mack gets up after a while and goes and grabs a wet washcloth. After I settle down next to him with his arm around me and my head on his chest, I look at the ring and can’t help but smile.

“I love you, Mack.”

“I love you more than life itself, Egypt,” he whispers. He turns off the light and I start to feel my eyes close.

Waking up, I am still snuggled in close to Mack. Moving my hand so that it rests on his chest. Looking at the ring, I just cannot believe that through everything, we are getting married. I know this man laying here with me can and will make me happy. Looking at the clock it is a little after six am. It is time to get up and start the day. We are going to be very busy the next few weeks getting ready for winter and the horde of zombies that is coming this way. I slowly get up out of bed so I do not wake Mack. I open up the door so the dogs can go out. Making my way to the bathroom, I start the shower. I let that warm up while I get my clothes for the day. I pick a t-shirt and jeans. Heading back into the bathroom, I brush my teeth and use mouthwash. I cannot stand morning breath.

Stepping into the shower, I let the water run down my body. It feels so good. Trying to hurry up, I wash my hair and shave my legs. Turning the water off, I wrap a towel around myself and head out to get a cup of coffee. Mack is sitting up in bed smiling at me with two cups in his hands. Smiling, I walk over and sit down next to him. Grabbing one of the cups, I take a whiff and damn if it does not smell amazing.

“Morning, Sunshine,” Mack says.

“Morning, Mack," I say, taking a sip of my coffee. He knows just how to make it. The dogs come running in and jump on the bed. Rufus goes to crawl up Mack’s chest.

“Oh, no you don’t, Cujo. I don’t need any more bite marks," he muttered. I am trying not to laugh, but it is so hard not to.

“Aw, Mack, he’s not going to bite this time.” Looking over at him, I can see the doubt on his face, I really do not blame him. Shaking his head, he climbs over me and I cannot help but look. He is naked. He is one fine man.

“I’m going to hop in the shower and then we can go to breakfast together,” Mack says.

“OK, can you throw my clothes out to me?” Sipping my coffee, I wait for him to answer. Looking over at him, he is just grinning.

“Egypt, you can come in while I’m showering. I don’t bite,” he says laughing, “not hard anyway.” I must have blushed because he shakes his head laughing even harder. Throwing a pillow at him, he ducks into the bathroom. I hear the water turn on, so I sit back and finish my coffee.  After I am finished, I get up and head to the bathroom. We have to get a move on. No more waiting for him to finish. Walking in, I can see him through the glass. I get that flutter in my stomach so I look away. Dropping the towel to the ground, I start to get dressed. Leaving my shirt off, I unwrap my hair and start brushing it out. I hate to get my shirt wet. The water turns off and Mack steps out. He dries off and wraps a towel around his waist. Coming up behind me, he wraps his arms around my waist. Leaning my head against his chest, I look at him in the mirror.

“I love you,” he whispers in my ear. Shivering, I look into his eyes. I know what I am ready for, but that is going to have to wait until tonight. I can tell he is thinking the same thing because he takes a few steps back. Smiling at him, I hurry and finish.

Throwing my socks and boots on, I wait outside on the patio for Mack. We have 15 minutes before we need to go for breakfast.  Sitting down, I watch the dogs play for awhile. It is nice to have this private spot where I can relax without tons of people on top of me. Mack comes out and grabs my hand.

“You ready to start the day?” he asks.

“Yep, sure am. We just have tons to do with little time to do it.” Standing up, we walk hand and hand with the dogs in tow out the door and down the hallway. I can already hear people talking and laughing. Squeezing Mack’s hand, we stop in the dining room. Looking around, everyone is up. They all want to see what I have to say at the meeting. Mack knows how I am feeling and leads me to the command center and up the steps. John is up there keeping watch.

Walking over to the edge I look out over the farm fields. It is a beautiful morning, the sun is out with no clouds in the sky. I feel a gentle breeze. It seems in the 70s today. For October, that is not too bad. Mack comes up from behind me and places his hands over mine. He plays with the ring on my finger making me look down at my hand. Looking at the ring, it sparkles in the sunlight. 

“Wow, are you guys like getting married?” John asks.   Laughing, I turn to look at him.

  “Yes, we are, John.” We hear the breakfast bell. “Why don’t you go get something to eat with Tabby? I’ll stay up here and keep watch.”  He looks around like he not sure if he should.

“Come on, man, I’ll go with you. I’ll bring Egypt something back to eat,” Mack says.  Throwing his arm around John’s shoulders, they make their way down the steps. Stretching, I lean my hands on the railing. Looking to the right is where the zombies will be coming from.  It scares me to death just to think about. I do think about it. I have to keep everyone safe. That is on me and what we can get accomplished. Looking at the fence, I know reinforcing it will be better and maybe keep them out. Just in case, we will have practice drills with everyone.  I am going to have Nate pull my SUV to my office side of the house. In case we need to get out quick.

Mack comes up the steps with a tray of food and sets it down on the little table. I walk over and sit in one of the chairs. He has brought everything. He even got cut up fruit.  Smiling, I pop a strawberry in my mouth. Mack is smiling at me.

“I can’t believe you got fruit,” I say smiling.

“Well, I’m in good with the cooks now,” he says laughing.  

"Mack, I’m going to have Nate pull the SUV around to the office and Hank's truck too. I’ll have Tomas put emergency supplies in both and make sure they are full on gas. Just in case of emergency. What do you think?”

He takes his time to answer, shaking his head. “I think it needs to be done considering what we’re facing. I know the last two rooms are safer than the rest of the house. It could be that steel door that pulls out of the wall and closes it off. But if we get overrun that’s where everyone should head. I also think one of the RVs that isn’t being used should be packed with supplies, gassed up just like the SUV,” he says thoughtfully.

“OK, we will get the boys on that today. Is everyone going to meet in the front yard? I can talk to them from here. That way everyone can see and hear me.” He is leaning back in the chair enjoying the fruit just as much as I am.

“Sounds good, and yes in about twenty minutes. That way we can start getting the stuff done,” he says.

We sit and relax the rest of the time eating. Tabby waddles up the steps and joins us. She is getting big. Laughing, I shake my head. She comes over and sits on my lap. She may be 21, but she’s still my baby.

“Mom, why don’t you guys exchange vows this afternoon. I mean after all the bad news you’re going to be telling everyone soon. It would bring spirits back up,” she beams.

Looking over at Mack, he’s grinning just like she is. I think they had this planned from the beginning. But honestly, I think it would be nice to get it done. It would just be one last thing to worry about. Smiling up at her, I gently move a piece of hair out of her face.

“OK, let’s do it. Could you find me a dress to wear?” I ask her.

“You bet I can, and I’ll have Aunt Nancy and Mimi make a huge dinner,” she says happily.

She jumps off my lap and goes down the stairs as fast as she can. Standing up, I walk over and sit on Mack’s lap. Running my fingers through his hair, I am glad he does not have it pulled back.  Then the meeting starts. Walking over to the edge, I look down into the yard and everyone is there. Well, no time like the present to get started.

“Morning everyone. I’ve got a lot to say so please, leave the questions for after. I’m going to start by saying we got a huge problem coming our way.  On our way home from Georgia, we saw a horde of zombies the size of which I’ve never seen. There were thousands of them all coming this way. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s happening. I’m thinking they are running out of food in the cities and are moving to find it. We think we have a month before they can get here. Now I know some of you are wondering why we don’t leave. Here’s why, this is still the safest place we have to go. We’re going to reinforce the fences around here with metal beams and sheeting. Sal has a team that’s going out after the meeting and starting to get it. I’m leading a team to go and hit the armory tomorrow. So we will be set that way. We are all going to have to pitch in and get all this done. We still need to go out and get more supplies, wood, clothes, etc.”

I let everything sink in. Mack hands me a drink. I didn’t realize how dry my mouth got for all this talking.

“It’s going to be hard work for the next few weeks with hardly any down time. The only day none of us do anything is on Sunday. Hank will have a sermon in the morning, the rest of the day is free. Today I will need some volunteers to go to the orchards to pick fruit; I think with this outing the older kids can come with us.” Looking over at Hank he steps up and talks about a few other things. At the end, the questions come in and it takes us a half hour to answer them all.

At the end of the meeting, I head down to the kitchen. My mom is sitting at the table putting together bagged lunches.

“Mom, what’s those for?”

“For when you go out to the orchards. It would be good for the kids if they can get out for a while,” she says.

“Yeah, I think this will be the safest place for them to get out,” I say softly.

“They will be just fine with you, Egypt. You know how to keep them safe,” she says looking over at me. Wiping her hands on a towel she leans over and grabs my hand.

“He did well, don’t you think?” she asks.

“Yes he did, but I think he had a little bit of help.” Smiling, I look at her.

“You love that man, Egypt?” she asks, looking me in the eyes.

“Mom, I think it’s always been him. I love him with everything that I have.”

“That man would die for you. The way he looks at you, the way he touches you, that’s hard to find in the normal world. But to find it now with the chaos, that’s your soul mate,” she says.

“There isn’t nothing I wouldn’t do for him. The things I went through in Georgia, and he still loves me,” I say.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened, but I’m sure it was horrible. But you got through it and it’s made you stronger. I’m not saying you don’t need to heal, but what I’m saying is that man will be by your side and help you,” she says, getting up and putting the lunches into a big box.

"I love you, Mom.” Standing, I wrap my arms around her and don’t want to let go. She is home to me. She is my mom. If I can be half the woman she is then I will be great.

“I love you too, honey, but if you don’t mind, I want to go and hug that handsome man right over there.” Laughing she walks over to where Mack is standing. She so small compared to Mack. He hugs her back and comes over to the table.