Z-Burbia 7: Sisters of the Apocalypse (9 page)

"Poof," I echo.

"Oh," Froggy Girl says. She plops down on her ass. "That's no good."

"No, it ain't," Audrey says. "But we have some time until they light the place up. They're still running scared from the horde."

"They'll draw as many away as possible so they have more room to move," Marcie says.

"Yeah. They'll set up vantage points on all sides so they know we don't get away," Antoinette adds.

"Maybe an hour?" I ask.

"Maybe an hour," Audrey says. "Probably less."

"Thirty minutes," I say and take my pack off.

"Reload and do a quick inventory," Audrey says. "We'll need to move fast which means we need to move light. Ditch the packs and only take what you can comfortably carry while running your asses off."

"Wait, what?" Froggy Girl says, confused as shit. "We're running? How? We're up on a roof."

"We'll figure that out," Audrey says.

"We always do," Marcie adds.

"Yep," Antoinette agrees.

"You women are crazy," Froggy Girl says.

"True dat," I say and smile at her. "Make yourself useful and go watch what the Doyles is doing. If they start moving towards the building, you give a holler."

Froggy Girl just sits there and stares at me.

"Or, I could throw you over the edge and let the Doyles and Zs fight over your broken body," I say. "That sound fun?"

She gets her ass up and creeps over to the north edge.

"We're gonna have to ditch her at some point," Audrey whispers low enough for only us to hear.

"That sucks," Marcie replies, but doesn't argue.

"Maybe she'll pull her weight," Antoinette suggests.

"Maybe," I say. "But, probably not with how fast we'll need to move. We're sisters. She's not."

Antoinette nods.

"You okay with that?" Audrey asks me.

I look over at Froggy Girl as she sneaks a peek at the street below. She ducks her head back fast then takes a second look. Her entire body is shaking from fear.

Yeah, we're going to have to leave her behind at some point. Ain't no way a girl shaking like that can keep up with us. Still…

"No, I ain't good with that," I say. "We find a way to take her with."

"Why the change of heart?" Antoinette asks.

"No change," I say and shrug. "Just don't want to be like a Doyle."

"I get that," Antoinette says.

"We'll see," Audrey says.

She's right. We will see.

Chapter Nine

We're stripped to the essentials. Water, a little food, med kits, knives, long blades, rifles, pistols, as much ammo as we can stuff into our belt pouches, and a couple other things we'll need. I have the Barrett with me. Audrey offered to carry it, but I really don't mind. I like the weight of it strapped to my back and I don't have a rifle like the other sisters, just my two .45s.

"Grab some sleep," Audrey says.

"Sleep? You said they'd try and burn us out within an hour," Froggy Girl says, all shocked and shit.

"Yeah, I did," Audrey says. "So we sleep until then."

"How can you sleep?" Froggy Girl asks, looking from one of us to the next.

"Easy," I shrug and lie down on the hot-ass roof, what's left of my pack tucked under my head. "You close your eyes and sleep happens."

The others laugh and do the same as I close my eyes and let sleep happen.

Internal clock says I get about twenty-five minutes of shut eye before the Doyles come for us. But when I open my eyes, the sun has set and it's nothing but dark sky and twinkly stars above me. I ain't happy with my internal clock.

"What we got?" Audrey asks, stretching next to me as I get up and crack my back.

"They're using the alley," Antoinette says. "Easier to control that way and there's still lots of Zs inside and out front. I think they figure we'll try to escape that way when the building really catches."

"They're predictable, at least," Marcie says, still lying on the roof, her legs outstretched. "That works in our favor."

"Don't assume," Audrey snaps.

It's funny how much she sounds like Steph now. Being in charge, even though she's technically not in charge, makes a sister get all tough and snappy. I've mentioned it to Greta and she says it's the stress. I just think the sisters like to get their butch on when they take charge. It's fun. Sisters like fun.

"We doing it their way or our way?" I ask.

"What do you think?" Audrey replies, all happy smile and killer grin. "When do we ever do it someone else's way?"

"When we've got a Froggy Girl," I say.

"What?" Froggy Girl asks. She's huddled against the north edge of the roof, her knees tucked to her chin. "What about me?"

"We have to do some things that aren't easy for normal folks," I say. "We're gonna have to climb down the wall fast and kill a bunch of Doyles before they know they're already dead. Easy for us, pretty much impossible for you."

The smell of smoke hits us, but it's blown away by the breeze fast so we all know the flames aren't nearly at the get the fuck out of here level yet. Close, but not yet.

"Are you gonna leave me?" Froggy Girl asks. She hugs her knees tighter. "You can. It's okay. All the Inezes are dead. I got nowhere to go."

"You can come to the Stronghold with us," I say.

"El," Audrey warns. "We have a mission."

"I know," I say. "I was being kind. That's a thing, right? Being kind? Charlie says I should try it. I'm trying it."

"Charlie says a lot of things," Marcie says. "He also stays back in the Stronghold while we go out into the wasteland and hunt for Kramer. Easy for him to talk."

"Trouble with the boyfriend?" Antoinette asks.

"Shut up," Marcie says. "I'm just saying it's easy for Charlie to be kind while he's behind that huge wall he's finishing. Out here we have to break heads and gut people. That's how it is."

"Oh," Froggy Girl says. "You gonna gut me?"

"Jesus," Audrey sighs. She moves fast and kneels down in front of Froggy Girl, making the girl jump a little. "You can come with us. That's not a problem. But we can't save you anymore. You keep up or you fall behind. That's the deal. No more hand holding."

"You haven't been holding my hand," Froggy Girl says. "I led you to the courthouse, remember?"

"Where our sister got killed," Audrey snarls.

Froggy Girl yips and scoots her ass right against the small wall that rims the roof.

"You haven't helped us at all," Audrey continues. "You've gotten us into more trouble with every suggestion. The courthouse, this building. What's next? You gonna just make it quick and put a gun to our heads?"

"She can't put one gun to all of our heads," I say.

"You know what I mean, El," Audrey snaps.

"Just saying," I reply. "Leave her be. She makes it or she don't. No need to torture the girl."

"I'll make it," Froggy Girl says.

"You think so?" Audrey asks. "El? Give her one of your pistols."

"What?" I ask, my turn to snap. "No way. I need my pistols."

"You have the Barrett," Antoinette says.

"Shut up," I reply. "I need my pistols."

"She's gonna need something," Audrey says as she stands up. "And you have the Barrett."

"I can't whip the Barrett out and kill Zs with it on the run!" I growl. "You guys are being assholes."

"I don't need it," Froggy Girl says. "I won't hit anything. I can just run and keep up."

"See?" I say. "She can run and keep up."

"Then we're all on the same page," Audrey says. "We go in five. She's on her own and either runs and keeps up or falls behind and gets eaten by Zs."

"Or taken by Doyles for their breeding farm," Froggy Girl says.

That stops us dead like a headless Z. Shit…

"Okay, hold on," Audrey says and takes a deep breath. "Breeding farm?"

"Doyles catch Inezes and use them to make more Doyles," Froggy Girl says. "If a girl baby is born then they grow her until she can carry a Doyle to term. To term? That's what it's called, right?"

"Yes, that's what it's called," Antoinette says.

"Sister meeting," Audrey says.

"Fucking A right, sister meeting," I agree.

We walk to the other side of the roof and huddle close. It's hot and we stink and shit is sweaty, but we lean in, our heads almost touching.

"Breeding farm," Audrey sighs. "Fuck."

"We can't let that shit keep happening," Marcie says.

"No way," Antoinette says.

"Changes the game," I say. "We have a new mission."

"I hear all of that," Audrey says. "But this is the closest we've been to the blind kids. We know Kramer has something to do with them. If we switch our focus now then it could be months, or years, before we catch Kramer's trail again."

"We all hate Kramer," Antoinette says. "But the Doyles have a breeding farm."

"Yeah, I fucking know they have a breeding farm," Audrey snaps. "But we're also talking about a bunch of women that all call themselves Inez."

"No, we killed them," I say. "Shot 'em dead back by the river. These chicks probably ain't Inezes anymore. They're just women."

"Does it fucking matter?" Audrey asks. "What I'm trying to say is what the fuck do we do with these chicks when we save them? Doesn't sound like they're the brightest stars in the sky."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Marcie asks. "We've got ex-cannies back at the Stronghold that aren't rocket scientists."

"One of them is," I say. "Or was. I talked to him. He used to be a rocket scientist. Like for reals. Then Z-Day hit and he had to start eating peoples."

"Really? Who is it?" Antoinette asks.

"You know, that one guy with the red mark on his face," I say.

"Shut the fuck up about the canny rocket scientist," Audrey says. "We vote now. Keep on with the mission as it is or go try to save some stupid bitches that are probably all pregnant and can't be saved anyway."

"Way to sell it," Marcie says.

"Just being realistic," Audrey says. "Say we do find this breeding farm. Say we do kill enough Doyles to get the women out. How many are like full-on pregnant? How many are even going to make the trip to the Stronghold before popping?"

She makes a good point. It's a point Stella would have made, back in the day. But Stella wouldn't have hesitated.

"We save the women," I say. "That's what sisters do. All sisters. We save each other."

"And if one of them, or a few of them, give birth on the way back to the Stronghold?" Audrey asks. "What then? Babies make a lot of fucking noise and noise brings Zs. It also brings crazies and cannies and all the pieces of shit out in the wasteland."

"We deal with that then," I say.

"We deal with that then," Marcie agrees.

"Yep," Antoinette responds and nods.

"Fine," Audrey says without hesitating.

I knew she was gonna agree. No way Audrey would let some Doyles keep a breeding farm. Fuck that shit.

"We need a new plan," Audrey says. "Thoughts?"

"Hey! Froggy Girl!" I call.

Froggy Girl looks over at us, but doesn't get up.

"Come the fuck over here," I say. Probably harsher than I need to, but the bitch needs to get her ass up. She brought up the breeding farm. What? She thinks she can just drop that shit bomb on us and then sit on her ass? More fucking of that shit.

Froggy Girl gets up and walks to us like she's in a daze. If she was planning on keeping up, it sure as fuck don't look like it.

"What?" she asks. Her eyes are checked out. She already thinks she's dead.

"We're gonna save the ladies and the Inezes from the breeding farm," I say. "Right, sisters?"

"Right," they say.

A little of the death leaves Froggy Girl's eyes.

"You are?" she asks. "Why?"

"Because breeding farms are wrong and Doyles need to die for even having one," Audrey says.

"The Inezes said that," Froggy Girl responds. "But we couldn't fight the Doyles. Too many of them and they have all the bullets. So we'd hide."

"That's why they wanted me," I say. "Inez One was gonna use me to take out some Doyles and free the preggers ladies, yeah?"

Froggy Girl shrugs. "Maybe. We just needed a fighter. None of us can fight like you sisters do."

"Not many people can," Audrey says. "So. New plan. Who wants the Barrett?"

"I already have the Barrett," I say.

"Yeah, but only the person that doesn't get captured can keep the Barrett," Audrey says. "No way we let the Doyles get their hands on it."

"Hold the shit on," Marcie says. "Are you saying we let the Doyles get us? Let them capture us and take us to the breeding farm?"

"You know a better way to get there?" Audrey asks.

The smoke has started to get thick and I can hear shit popping as it burns.

"What if they kill us instead of capture us?" Antoinette asks. "They are pretty pissed off."

"They won't kill you," Froggy Girl says. "You're too healthy. They need you. Most of the girls are sick and starving. They give them enough food to give birth then…"

"Jesus," Audrey says. "If there is any guy named Doyle back at the Stronghold, he's gonna have to change his name when we get back."

There's a loud crack and we feel the roof shift.

"Shitfuck," I say. "I'll take the Barrett. I'm the best fighter and almost best shot. You need me to get you out."

"She's the better tracker too," Marcie says, "in case we get separated from her."

"Can you carry a duffel with the rifles?" Audrey asks.

"I have to," I say.

"Don't fuck around, El," Audrey says. "Be real here."

I give her my hard-ass look and she nods.

"Good," she says and grabs a folded duffel bag from her pack.

She tosses it on the ground and none of us need her to tell us what to do. We fill that fucker with all the rifles and pistols and weapons and shit. It's going to be heavy as shitfucking hell, but I can do it. Ain't got a choice.

"Where's the breeding farm?" I ask Froggy Girl as I test the weight of the duffel bag. Ugh. "In that sports complex?"

"No," Froggy Girl says. "It's a real farm. A ranch north of here. They don't keep the women with all the Doyles or bad things happen."

"No shit," Audrey says.

A louder crack and the part of the roof we're standing on starts to buckle. There's smoke and a lot of heat coming up through the tarpaper and shit.

The sisters toss me all of their gear. I stuff as much as I think I can carry into one pack then set that on top of the duffel bag. I'm gonna be sore tomorrow. That's something normal people say, right? Right.

Audrey pulls her knife from her belt and frowns at it.

"We show up down there with even these and they'll shoot the shit out of us," Audrey says. "We have to look weak and beaten. That's how we get taken to the breeding farm."

"Yes, yes," Froggy Girl says. "That's how."

More cracking and some flames come up through the roof. The sisters give me their knives. Damn. They're going in naked.

"We'll go down the side," Audrey says. "There's a drain pipe that looks strong enough. It's right where they'll see us." She pauses and gives me her hard ass look. "You'll have to wait up here until we're all gone then get off this roof and follow fast."