Walkers (Book 1): The Beginning (13 page)

     "What do you see?" he asked.

     "I don't have the energy for this this morning, Mason. Just tell me whatever it is you want me to know."

     "Look, over to the northeast corner, near the orange trailer."

     So I looked. At first I didn't see anything but snow, then something caught my eye and I really looked. I turned to say something to Mason and he was there holding a pair of binoculars. Smartass! I took a second look at the trailer and then I saw it. A walker stood in waist deep snow slowly rocking back and forth. He didn't look like he was going anywhere soon.

     "How the hell did he get there? I thought we had the fence tight enough no one could get through." I said, squinting through the glasses.

     "I know, right? But we need to find the spots where they can get through so they can be reinforced."

     "Well, we have to take care of it. We can't have him wondering around the place even if he is stuck at the moment."

     I'll get the snowmobile ready after I tell Flynn." He turned to leave when I grabbed his arm.

"I'm going on this little trip. Flynn goes every time and now it’s my turn. You guys act like you hooked at the hip for pete's sake. Let me change into my snowmobile suit and we'll go take care of this thing."

     I turned to go and he grabbed my arm. When I turned back to see what he wanted he kissed me, again. One of those with the tongue, and the toes curling and the warm feeling down low. When he released me, I licked my lips and smiled. He turned me around and gently shoved me in the direction of the door. By the time I had closed my bedroom door, I just stood there. He'd done it to me again! What the hell was wrong with me? Ok, I knew what my problem was but I wouldn't think about it today. Tomorrow was soon enough.

     Finally remembering what I was doing, I changed into my purple suit and grabbed my purple striped gloves. I hadn't got to use them yet, and they felt stiff and smelled new. My color coordinated boots of light and dark purple waited by the back door. I guess Mason had explained to Sarah where we were going because she handed me my knit cap and smiled. I was suspicious of that smile, but grabbed my plum colored helmet off the table by the door and headed out to the sound of the snowmobile before anyone could say anything.

     As we drove around the back deck, I saw Flynn watching through the window of the dining room. He didn't look happy. I smiled real big and waved at him as we roared away. I'd forgotten something important about snowmobiles though...they vibrate under your butt. After a few minutes, I had to shift in the seat.

     "What's wrong" Mason shouted over the engine.

     "Nothing, just drive". I was glad he couldn't see my red face.

     When we got close enough for the walker to see and hear us, he began to strain towards us. Since we were on a big old noisy machine, I didn't see any sense in trying to be quiet...so I took out the shotgun? And blew his head off. Overkill big time.

     "Were you planning on shooting big game with this thing? Crap, there's brains for miles."

     "There you go exaggerating again. Every time I turn around you are defaming my character."

     "What the hell are you talking about? I don't defame your character; you don't have a character for pete's sake. Making me spew coffee all over the kitchen isn't an indicator of good character."

     "I didn't say I had a good character, but thanks for that assessment. That coffee thing was an accident and you know it. I can't help it if you have a dirty mind."

     "Dirty mind?  You...you cave man, you have the dirty mind. 'Let me show you something special.' What the hell is that if not the product of a dirty mind?"

     Lacy jumped into my mind with both feet.
Get back now JD, Howard just got back from the road house with an unconscious girl.

     "We gotta go" we both said at the same time. I guess he got that message to. I'll think about that tomorrow also.

     Our minds jumped and skitted back and forth worse than the machine we were riding on, all the way back to the lodge. I didn't even notice the vibrations this time.

     Skidding to a stop at the back door, I dismounted and ran up the steps tripping on the last one. No, I didn't fall. When I hit the kitchen floor, the snow on my boots acted like skis and I slid across the floor. Didn't fall that time either. Go figure.

     Lacy ran into me at the dining room with my slippers and made me peel myself out of the suit and boots and into the warm, dry slippers. I ran into the clinic in my sweat suit to find everyone there.

     "Clear the room till we find out if she's infected. Lacy would you warm some chicken broth, Duke would you ask Mandy to help Lacy? Let's get these clothes off and I need something to tie her down for the time being. Just hands and feet for now. Whew, we need to clean her up to, she smells to high heaven.

     Sarah had a pair of shears and was busy cutting the clothes away. We were looking for bite marks, but would have to remove all her clothes to find out.

     "We'll need a heater in here since we are stripping her. Mason would you get a basin of warm water and disinfectant soap from the bathroom? Flynn, I have some big wooly, warm socks in my dresser would you get them for me?

     We spent the next hour stripping, cleaning and getting her into something warm. We didn't find any bite marks anywhere. In the meantime, Howard told us how he had found her huddled in the road house where we kept the snow plow and snowmobile. We check it a couple of times a week to make sure nothing was tampered with.

     He saw footprints leading to the back of the house and investigated, finding the girl in the bedroom, unconscious under a mountain of blankets. When he didn't find bite marks on her, he decided to bring her back.

     At first we were concerned that she might turn, but after a while we took care of her as if she was one of us. I thought she was just exhausted and after a good rest she should be ok. She was really pretty, with stubble for hair. We figured she shaved it for sanitary reasons. It's hard to get bugs out of long hair. She was skinny but that was expected, her fingernails were split and caked and slight frostbite was evident on her fingers, toes, and tips of her ears and nose.

     We took turns overnight, sitting with her. She didn't move or make a noise. Bubba had taken to sleeping on top of the covers between her legs. Howard said he was trying to make her well and would leave her alone when she got better. Flynn seemed taken with staying with her too. Not sure what was going on there but I left him to it.

     Just after noon the next day she started to wake up. We warmed the broth up again and made her some hot tea. I was with her when she slowly opened her eyes.

     "You're ok, with friends. You've been ill. You'll be ok now, just rest. When you're ready we have tea and broth for you."

    She looked at me then around the room. 'Safe' she whispered and went back to sleep.

     When she awoke an hour later, she said she was ready for the broth. It didn't stay down, but I expected that. We tried the tea and when it stayed down, she tackled some more broth again. Bubba lay down with her again, and they both slept the afternoon away. She ate some more broth and crackers and drank two cups of tea that night then slept through the night.

     Two days later she was walking with the help of Flynn. He was at her side constantly which was cause for a lot of speculation.

     She was seated at the dining table when I came in, Flynn at her side.

     "What's your name anyway? We have to call you somthing.

     I asked as I poured my coffee.

     "I...don't know. Do you know?" She asked Flynn.

     "No, sweetness, I sure don’t."

     "So why are you acting so nice to me if you don't know me?"

     "Yea, Flynn, why is that?"

     He looked at me like he just thought of something interesting.  I tilted my head and smiled at him while he processed that bit of information.

     "You remind me of my little sister, sweetness, that's all". Then he smiled back at me. I just turned and mosied into the kitchen.

     "Morning Sarah, how you are this fine morning?" I asked as I peeked into the frying pan.

     She was sitting at the kitchen table stirring a cup with a slogan on it that read "Dough is all you need". I sat across from her. "I think we should call the new girl "Sissy"

      "Really? Why?"

     "Flynn just told her she reminds him of his sister."

     "He isn't acting very brotherly".

     "My thought exactly, hence the name".

     "I swear, JD, sometimes you confound me."

     "I don't know why, I'm about the most sensible person I know".

     We were both laughing when Mason walked in with his coffee. The kitchen had just become popular for some reason. Oh, yea, never mind

     "What's up in here?" he sat at the table too. I frowned at him but he ignored me. Sarah got up to tend breakfast and Mandy strolled in all sad in the face. She walked over and leaned her head against Masons shoulder. He put his arm around her.

     "What's the matter munchkin?"

     "Bubba doesn't like me anymore. He likes that new girl more than me."

     Ooops!

     "Mandy, remember when that mean snake bit your foot and you were real sick for a while? Bubba stayed with you just like he's staying with her. As soon as she's well, he'll be your best friend again. Till, then, will I do?"

     She settled on his lap and giggled, "Oh Mason, you're too big to chase balls."

     "Really?"

     "Come on Mandy; eat your breakfast before it gets cold". Sarah said as she place a plate of scrambled eggs on the table. Mandy kissed Masons cheek and slipped into the booth to eat.  He looked at me and thought
What?

     I shook my head at him. "Why don't we check out the fence line today for any more trespassers?"

     "As soon as you're ready, meet me on the snowmobile."

     "Not till you both get something to eat" Sarah said as she put two plates with deer steak, fried potatoes (from the can) and eggs. Two glasses and a jug of orange juice followed. We forgot the kids in the dining room while we finished our breakfast then a loud
Fuck
popped into my mind from Lacy. From the way Mason jumped he got it to.

     A few seconds later a furious Lacy stomped into the kitchen. She stopped short when she saw us then tried to decide which way to go.

     "Don't even think about it"  I said, patting the chair beside me. She looked at Mason, who drank the last of his orange juice and grabbed his coat before going out the back door.

     I waited her out. She sat there hitting the table leg with her foot. I motioned her to follow me upstairs after putting my plate in the sink, then let her stew while I put on the "purple monstrosity' everyone called my snowmobile suit. She paced like a mad woman until I finished.

     "Make it quick, or I'll melt in this thing".

     "Randy thinks the new girl is sweet, Randy thinks the new girl should have some of MY clothes since she doesn’t have any. Randy thinks that new coat I got would fit the new girl better. Randy thinks..."

     "Ok, I get the picture. Where is Randy right now?"

     "Randy is getting the new girl her breakfast, or trying to without tripping over Flynn or his own big, damned feet. What the hell does those two see in her?"

     "Flynn said she reminds him of his sister."

     "Then he must be into incest because that boy does not have brotherly thoughts about her. And Randy....!"

     "Ok, ok, we've already been over that. Look, there is nothing you can do. If you make a big deal about it then it will just get worse. Give the novelty of a new person in the group a chance to wear off. Can you do that?"

     "Yea, but she ain't getting any more of my clothes. I have to put my foot down and its down and he better get over it. Thanks for listening, sis," she said, then kissed my cheek and hurried from the room. Just. Like. That.

     I shook my head all the way down the stairs, told Sarah what we would be doing as I put my boots on and stepped out into the fresh, clean air.

     Mason sat on the snowmobile waiting for me, checking out the area with binoculars. When I came down the stairs and walked towards him, he smiled big and I thought about the new girl causing all this trouble. Maybe the next few months would be hell and maybe we might become a great big family, but either way, I had a way to escape when things got bad. He was sitting on it right in front of me.

                                         
                            CHAPTER 13

    It was Sunday and that meant pork chops, applesauce and chocolate cake. The cake was cooling on the counter. I was finishing up the dishes from breakfast while I watched Mandy and Bubba chase a chicken in the yard.  Barking and squealing mixed with the squawking of the chicken and feathers were flying everywhere made it an amusing show I was glad to see.  Sarah and I would go into hysterics every once in a while watching them play.
    Lacy and Randy were still on shaky ground but only because Sissy was encouraging him.  In ten days she'd managed to piss off nearly all of us including Howard, who had treated her like a daughter.  Her memory was still AWOL and she used it to her advantage. She avoided, screwed up or pitied someone into doing every chore we'd asked of her.
    How can you do a load of laundry and everything come out blue, or every egg gathered broken and potatoes scorched.  We've found her asleep during monitor watch once and watching TV the next time. She'd just shrug it off with a whiny "sorry" or collapse in a torrent of tears till either Flynn or Howard or Randy would feel sorry for her.  Randy was starting to see the light and Lacy was noticing.  Flynn was giving her odd looks and Howard had scolded her twice.
    I didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to skate by but I was positive it would last as long as she could make it.  I was just waiting as long as I could before giving the speech. I knew no one else was gonna do it, so I was saving it up.
    I was draining the green beans and watching the kids play when Flynn walked up and chuckled at them to.
    "Tell me JD, honestly, what do you think of Sissy?"
    "You know me to tell it any other way, Flynn?"  I said as I set the colander on a paper towel and proceeded to dry my hands.
    "She's trouble.  Lazy, irresponsible and probably dangerous in the right situation.  I don't know how much memory she has because I don't trust her but I know she's argumentative and loves to instigate fights.  Case in point is Randy and Lacy."
    "Don't hold anything back JD, tell me how you really feel."
    "I feel like there's going to come a point when she's gonna have to decide where she wants to live, here or out there somewhere.  We have strife around here right now because of her and after all we've been through, we don't need that."  I touched his cheek and he leaned into it.  "You have to decide just how much you want her to be the sister you lost and if you can stand to lose her again".
    "Well, now ain't this sweet" said a very sarcastic Mason."
    "Fuck off, meathead."  Flynn said.  Then to me he said "You do what you have to do to keep this place running right.  I trust you to make the right decisions."  Then he kissed my palm and walked out to watch the kids.
    Mason walked over and looked out the window.  I picked up the camera and started taking pictures again.  Mandy and Bubba sat on the top step and she was talking to him.  I opened the window a bit feeling the cool air brush my hair.  "It won't be long now Bubba and Santa is gonna come off the top of that highest mountain over there" and she pointed at the mountain, he looked at it to, Click! ...”and he is gonna bring us all kinds of presents.  That that means gifts."  She pet him as he gazed lovingly up at her.  Click! Click!  "Then on Christmas morning, real early, and I know how you hate to get up early, but it's just one day out of the year ya know so you can do it, and tear open the presents and find out what Santa brung us".  Bubba looked at her and sighed.  Then she picked him up and hugged the stuffing out of him. Click! Click!
    I shut the window and turned to Mason.  He was still watching them.
   "That's the reason we have to do something about Sissy.  She was what I was discussing with Flynn when you so rudely interrupted."
    "We'll it looked like you were getting ready to get dirty."
    "If I decided to 'get dirty' with a duck it's none of your business, Mason, just keep that in mind for future reference."  I turned to leave and he stopped me with a soft "Wait."
    I waited.
    "I'm sorry.  Okay?  When I see you with Flynn I just go crazy.   I can't help it.  I care about you.  Please, just forget I said anything."
    "No problem, would you tell Sarah and Lacy they can come back into the kitchen now? They have been ease dropping for quite a while now."
    The persons in question walked boldly into the kitchen like they hadn't heard a word that was said.  "I don't know what you're talking about."  Lacy said as she got a pot out for the green beans. Sarah just smiled and winked at me.
    "I rest my case."
    "Later, road rash" he said with a wink.
    "Ass" I mumbled under my breath.
    From the dining room I heard a loud "I heard that".  I stuck my tongue out at him.
    "That's mature".  Said Lacy.
    "I think I'd spank Mandy's butt for that kind of behavior".  Sarah said and then laughed.
    The rest of the afternoon bumped right along nicely.  The next day however, went to hell fast.   We were sitting around the fire talking about our favorite vacations places of all things when screams echoed thought out the lodge.  We found Lacy and Sissy in a full blown fight, torn clothes and bloody noses to boot.  After pulling them apart and calming them down somewhat the reason for the fight slowly came to light.
    "Take it off,"  Lacy demanded.  "it isn't yours, take it off.!"
    "You weren't wearing it,"  yelled Sissy  "What do you care?"
    "Wait a minute.  Take what off?"  I asked.
    "That blouse she's wearing, mom got it for me before she went to Italy last year.  She didn't even ask."  Now the excitement was over Lacy was in tears.  Randy came up and put his arm around her cuddling her close.
    "Oh, now she's gonna use tears to get it back.  Well, fine, you want it bitch, here."  A loud ripping sound brought all eyes back to Sissy as she tore the thin material off her.  Then she threw it at Lacy and after making sure everyone saw her bare breasts, turned and stomped back to the clinic, slamming the door.
    Lacy grabbed the blouse from the floor and ran crying to her room, Randy close behind. Howard turned and slowly walked outside, head hanging low.  Mason, Flynn, Duke, Sarah and I just stood there with our mouths hanging open.
    "Well.  Hell."  Flynn said.
    "Yea," Duke agreed then turned and went back to the monitors.  I took a deep breath and tried to decide whether I should console Lacy, or knock the shit out of Sissy.  I turned and walked into the dining room instead, got a plate and fork and cut a piece of coconut cream pie. Sitting at the table nibbling on the pie, the others slowly came in and milled around the room. Mason standing at the window looking at nothing, Flynn holding the door jam up and Sarah sitting opposite me.
    "We have to do something, soon."  Sarah said.
    "Yea, I know."  I looked at each of them in turn.  "Who wants to be the bad guy here?"  No one said a word.  "Oh come on, why does it always have to be me?"
    "You can say what needs to be said and mean it.  The rest of us are too easy going."  I looked at Flynn and he straightened up fast.  "Not that you aren't easy going JD, so take that look off your face, it's just that we have a tendency to give in.  You stand your ground."
    "Is everyone prepared to stand behind me no matter what I say?  Cause I may have to be mean and I want everyone to back me up."
    "Something has to be done and now is as good a time as any.  I'll back you up no matter what you have to say or do.  I always have your back, no matter how wrong you are."  I looked sharply at Mason, ready to cuss him out when I saw the smile.
    "Just remember what a hard ass I am, Mason and we'll get along just fine.  Soon as I finish my pie I'll go talk to her.  I'll need a witness, Sarah would you do the honors?"  She nodded, then we became quiet while I figured out what I was gonna say.
    I sighed heavily, looked at everyone and got up.  Flynn clapped me on the back as I walked by and Mason winked.  I would have rather been tortured by aliens than do what I had to do now.  But some things can't be helped and I was a hardass after all.
    I was standing at the door to the clinic when Howard walked in.  He looked at me and said "Do what you have to.  I'm ashamed I brought her here to hurt the Lacy girl like that and then to display herself on top of it.  I wash my hands of her."  I walked over to him and hugged him. He pat me on the back then headed to the kitchen.  I took a breath and opened the door to the clinic.  Something bounced off the wall two feet from my head and crashed to the floor.  It was a vase.
    I looked down at it then at Sissy and closed the door.  I pulled the stool out, sat and spun around in slow circles waiting for Sarah to come in.  
    "Well, you gonna say anything or just sit on your fat ass".  I turned slowly back and forth on the stool, watching her as she sat on the bed and watched me.  Her arms were folded under her breasts which had been covered with a gray tee shirt.  She leaned against the headboard, waiting for me to say or do something. Sarah came in, closed the door and leaned against it.  Quietly watching.
    "Well, don't knock or anything, just barge right in.  You stuck up bitches are all alike."