I Dream of Zombies, page 8
I nodded. “Sure. Just let us get organized. Where do you want us to meet you?”
The man scratched his head. “Thirty minutes back here?”
“You got it. Don’t go without us.”
I knew exactly where Leroy was. I’d told him to stay in the room, and I scurried back there, knowing Dove was also rushing to his small room just down the hall. Bursting through the door, I spied Leroy, book in hand.
“Help me pack. Dove and I are coming with you to Liam and Elaine’s. I’ll explain on the way.”
His face blanked, and he nodded. I remembered he was military, so no doubt used to taking orders without question. I tugged out the small backpack I had on hand. I didn’t have much, which was great because there wasn’t a lot of space. In minutes we’d stashed everything, and I pulled him through the door.
I didn’t look back, because I needed the finality. The closure, I guess. But the sound of our boot-shod feet tromping down the hallway fed the excitement building inside my chest.
This was the right decision. I knew it in my veins.
* * * *
Leroy
So maybe I was intrigued by J’s statement that she was coming with me. Maybe she didn’t quite hold what I’d done against me, I considered, as we hurried down the hallway toward the cafeteria. I noted the way the men were watching us as we entered the large room. They didn’t rise, and it seemed strange.
“Why aren’t they ready to go?”
J turned to me. “Dove is coming with us.”
Dove? The priest? “What? Why?”
The shake of J’s head sent wisps of hair flying, where it had sprung free from her restrained plait. Lust punched me hard, and I swallowed and stepped back.
“What?” J’s gaze and the utterance brought me back to reality. Barely.
“Uh, Dove? He’s coming with us?”
J gave me a look that quieted any further questions. “Because he needs to do something. I’ll explain later.”
Obviously, there was more to this story than she was able to share right here and now. But hell, I was used to that, and since I didn’t see any real danger from her comments, I shrugged. I would ask again on the bus.
“Your call,” I muttered as the man in question joined us, two large rucksacks and a backpack in hand.
“Sorry, had to make sure I had everything,” Dove said in a quiet tone.
“Well, since we’re all here, let’s get moving,” the driver said, and we filed behind him toward the door.
Gazes locked on us, and some of the looks sent our way were questioning. When the woman, Casey from catering, came racing down the hall, I smelled a rat. She and Casey were tight, I’d already deduced. If she didn’t know, then it was a secret, and those were dangerous.
“J? Where you going? I didn’t see a team call-up.”
J reached out. “I’m taking a transfer for now, Casey. But I’m sure we’ll meet again.” There was genuine sorrow in her voice, and I noted the strength of the hug she gave, the way the small lines at the corners of her mouth deepened.
What the hell is going on?
“Be safe, J. That’s all I’ll ask.”
J nodded. “I will.” Then J urged us forward into the bright sunshine and onto the buses.
We trundled out, the truck once more taking up the forward position, and the guards littered between the two vehicles. At the approach to the overpass, everyone moved into high alert. But either because it was early in the day, barely nine AM, or the zombies hadn’t regrouped—likely, I’d never know the answer to that—the number of zombies at that point was minimal, and none made it onto the bus or truck.
J relaxed after that, and she and Dove took up positions either side of me. “Dove’s coming with us as he’s never really integrated into the camp. He needs to be somewhere he can be himself, to practice his religion and be accepted as the priest he is. He’s never agreed to fight and kill, and that’s okay with me. I’m coming with you, not because the commandant wants me to squeeze you for information or keep tabs on you, but because I discovered today, I don’t want to stay there. Not somewhere they think you’re replaceable or useful for the time being, then throw you aside.”
J’s caustic words surprised me. “But you’re the team leader and effectively moving up the ladder toward promotion. Or so I thought.”
Her smile wasn’t sunny or happy. Instead, it was laced with self-deprecation. “I’d talked myself into believing they saw me as part of the whole. You know, big picture view. An important aspect of the overall team. Clearly, that’s not the case.”
The need to tell her she was important hit hard, but I fought it back. She didn’t need me to tell her that. Besides, I doubted she wanted my opinion.
* * * *
Julia
Why did I tell him all this stuff? Dove touched my shoulder, and I grabbed his fingers, thanking him without words for the support he gave just by being there. He knew what I meant when I’d answered Leroy’s question of why we were on the bus. He alone understood the ramifications of what had passed. I wanted Leroy to see just how deep this hurt went. Conversely, I also didn’t want to tell Leroy exactly what the commandant had suggested so damned carefully. I was worth more than they gave me credit for, I told myself.
It didn’t stop the hurt or sense of violation though.
But now I focused on what lay ahead. “I’m going to ask Liam and Elaine for a spot for all three of us at their camp. You said they’d offered you a role, and I’m sure both Dove and I will be of value to them too.”
Leroy didn’t answer, though his gaze narrowed. We remained companionable but silent for the rest of the trip. At the large metal gates, the bus pulled up and waited for them to open and admit us. Once within they shut with a clang, and the men cheered.
It was odd that they reacted like that, as if they’d returned home. Home. Such a small word but encapsulating so many emotions.
We stepped off the bus as Liam strode up. “Uh, Leroy, Dove, and Julia. What’s going on?” His gaze bobbed between the three of us, and I stepped up.
“Leroy is planning on accepting your offer. I’m hoping you also have a space for Dove and me. Dove is a medic and priest, but the—”
Liam held up his hands. “Woah. How about we take this over to my office.” He smiled at the men who’d returned. “Well done, everyone. Could you grab their bags and deliver them to my office? I’ll take these three and see what’s what.”
“Sure” and “okay” floated over me.
I hadn’t seen this aspect of the setup before but felt amazed at the way they responded to his requests for assistance. That he’d started out by letting them know they were valued made me feel good about my decision to be here.
“You’ve got a pretty tight ship here, yet you don’t have the military carry-on happening.”
“No, Julia. We’ve found that as a collective, we achieve more, and the group values the way we run the camp. Everyone is equal. The old have tasks, as do the young, and they’re—we’re—all contributing to the greater outcome.”
I followed in silence now, watching as he chatted with one person, then inspected something else on the way to the house where he and his wife had set up the offices.
We stepped inside, and he gestured to the comfortable lounge chairs, indicating for us to sit, which we did. “So, tell me what brought you back.”
Straight to the point. Great. Not. “Look, at the camp I felt that I was only there for one reason—to go out and kill zombies. When I questioned a directive, I was told that there may not be a place for me anymore. I’m not expendable though. I’m a human, and I need to be treated like someone who’s valued. So, when the opportunity came, I took it.”
Oh my God! Did I actually tell him all that? The verbal diarrhea exposed my underbelly and was something I’d fought really hard to overcome since the virus had hit.
Liam sat down, taking the seat before me, and I felt the probing gaze settling on me. “I see. We’re always looking for people who have something to contribute. What were you before the virus?”
“I was second-in-command at the Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages.”
I heard Leroy and Liam’s indrawn breath then the bark of laughter from Dove. “Oh, that’s amazing. All this time and I never knew that about you.”
“Well, it’s not really useful in a zombie apocalypse, now is it? I mean, have you ever gone up to a zombie and said, ‘excuse me, what is your name and date of birth before I wipe you out’?”
Liam grinned. “Maybe not. But it’s something we should re-institute. After all, we could all benefit from keeping records for those who come after us, once we beat this bloody thing. Plus, I take it you’re a crack shot?”
I shrugged. “I used to shoot competitively before the virus. So, when I got stuck at the hospital, they made use of my skills.”
“Welcome to our camp, Julia. I know you’ll be an asset.”
The meeting wore on for at least another hour, and when we were released exhaustion lay heavily on me.
“Find your way over to the hospital wing, Jeremy will help you,” Liam said, and a young boy nodded from where he’d been waiting by the door. “And we’ll get you officially into our systems.” Liam shut the door, and the three of us followed the child to the house they’d converted into the surgery.
We entered the house.
“You need to talk with Ramon,” Jeremy told us. “He’s Liam’s brother and a doctor. He’ll take a few blood tests first, then you’ll be given a medical.”
The door opened and a big man entered what they’d turned into a waiting room. “Newcomers, hmm? Jeremy, take this back to Liam, if you wouldn’t mind, and tell him I want to see Elaine today about four o’clock.”
Jeremy’s face screwed up. “She’s not sick, is she?”
Ramon ruffled the boy’s head. “No. Just a routine thing.”
The boy took off, and Ramon grabbed some clipboards off the wall and passed them around.
“Fill these out first, then I’ll come get you one by one. A medical and blood tests, plus some history. Makes it easier down the track if we need to give first aid.”
It was like a Twilight Zone episode, I thought. You could have sent me to a doctor’s surgery before the virus and I wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.
“Then what?” I enquired.
“I normally prescribe isolation, but since you were here yesterday, or the day before, if you have anything communicable, I reckon we would have seen evidence by now. So, we’ll find you some temporary accommodation and go from there.”
I plopped down into one of the seats and made my way through the questions, surprised that I was the first to rise and knock on the door as instructed.
Ramon, the doctor, smiled at me with kindness in his eyes and ushered me into the room. It had all the trappings of a proper surgery suite, amazing me, and I got through the routine of questions, including the ones about possible pregnancy, pap smears, and even contraceptive medication.
He shooed me out, and I waited as first Dove then Leroy entered the suite to return a little while later after their consultations as the door rattled and two women entered.
“Okay, here comes Elaine and Mrs. Garmin. They’ll know where you’re being housed,” Ramon said.
Elaine smiled, her eyes shining. “Ramon, I got your message. I’m free now if that works.” When she turned to us, the smile grew broader. “You’re going to stay in the house next door. We’ve set it up as temporary accommodation for new camp members, and two of the three bedrooms have been set aside for you. Your bags have already been delivered there. Mrs. Garmin will show you where it is.”
Once again, we found ourselves ushered onward into a house we hadn’t entered before. The eighties décor was overwhelmed by a massive plasma screen on one wall and a floor-to-ceiling unit full of DVDs. I’ll have to check this room out further, I told myself then followed Mrs. Garmin into a bedroom complete with its own en-suite.
“Now, dear, I thought this would be fine for you. The gentlemen can share the next room over and the bathroom down the hall. A woman needs her own toilet, you know.”
Twilight Zone again, I thought but smiled.
She opened the wardrobe. “There’s a choice of clothing, so grab what you need. Underwear in the chest of drawers, all new, and there’s more where that came from.”
I couldn’t help gaping. “What did you do, empty a department store?”
“Well, we needed it, and with so many to clothe, feed, and house it seemed only right.”
That shut me up.
Chapter 7
Leroy
We’d been here over a week, and thus far I hadn’t yet met those I was supposed to tutor. We’d had a guided tour of the farm, the workshop where equipment was being made to assist in production of essential items, and even the stores.
“You’ll need to apprise yourself of where everything is, as we roster everyone into a range of roles, but they won’t be onerous, and since you’re here to fulfill a special need, Leroy, that will be your first priority.”
Elaine’s voice droned on, talking about the system for bartering and acquisition of goods, but I watched as J walked slowly, hands in her pocket. The longer she was here, the calmer she’d become. Also, the closer she and Dove were.
Last night, I’d caught them deep in conversation on the front steps of the house. It wasn’t like they were in a clinch, but the memory of seeing the closeness between them ate at me.
“Ramon has informed me he has all your medical history and test results. We’ll be arranging your long-term accommodation. Dove—that name is your preference, yes?”
Dove nodded in agreement.
“You’ll be given a separate, though small accommodation. You’ll be able to set up a chapel, and if you’re missing anything you need, let us know. We can make arrangements in the next scouting mission to secure the items. Although, with your permission we’d include you and of course Julia. Do you prefer J, because I noticed that’s how most of the crew with you last time addressed you?”
J sidestepped and crashed into me. I steadied her with both hands. “Thanks,” she croaked then shrugged away. “Um, J is fine, but my name is Julia. I think it was shortened just to make things easy at the beginning.”
Elaine frowned. “Yes, so either J or Julia. We don’t have any Julias, but we’ve got a Jeremy and Justine…”
We kept moving on, and I wondered just how much of herself J had boxed away in the long months since the virus hit. I wondered what she thought of me now… I stomped hard on those thoughts. “Uh, Elaine? When do you think we’ll be able to, you know, do whatever roles you have planned?”
The woman turned. “Oh, tomorrow is fine. I’ve arranged an office space for Julia, and Liam has cleared a section of the camp for you. You’ll meet your students tomorrow. I have your list of requirements here.” She rustled through a file, and I wondered how the hell for all we’d changed, we still had to have paperwork. “Now, let’s show you the permanent accommodation we’ve organized.”
* * * *
Julia
0800
It felt odd hearing my name in full again. After so many months, I’d become J, and dropping back into the other persona was uncomfortable. At least they’d understood that after so long on my own, being housed with my mother wasn’t going to work for me. Not that I’d seen her since returning, but no doubt I would soon.
I was in the singles accommodation; an old unit block they’d annexed recently. “The camp seems to keep growing, so we looked around, planned how we could access what we needed. The fencing here is strong enough, but Liam said it’s pretty much the furthest section we could reinforce with what we’ve scavenged. He’s thinking about satellite communities soon,” Elaine had told me, and I had nodded.
Grow too fast and they couldn’t put in the time to ensure the safety of those living within the confines. Their thought patterns were sensible and well-considered.
The clothes I’d taken from the cupboard and the others I’d requisitioned were sitting in the cupboard of the unit that was now mine, and I sighed. It wasn’t a lot, but it would do. Rations were to be collected daily and cooked in the shared kitchen zone, and each unit was broken into two with the old kitchens renovated to bathrooms so that the singles zone comprised of a hallway leading to bedroom and bathroom, the rest excised off into another small unit and a tiny kitchenette for making coffee and tea.
Just this morning I’d woken for the first time in what was my own space. It felt right.
I hurried to the bathroom, washed my face and brushed my teeth, then returned to the bedroom, sliding into gloriously clean clothes, new ones I hadn’t stained or worn out. The shoes were a tight fit but slip-ons. I’d missed that comfort having lived in combat boots for the duration.
With a nod at myself in the tiny mirror, I scurried out of my unit. The keys in my pocket reminded me that human nature was a strange thing, and I locked the door before heading out.
The fresh air felt untainted as it washed over my face on the way to the old school, where Elaine had set up my office.
The first job was to take stock of the people in the camp. Ages and so on. A kind of census she’d said, and I agreed it was important. Where at the beginning it had been taking names and skills when they arrived, with the camp growing some things had slid, according to Liam. Then they’d explained the reason Elaine was keen to hand over the role. “I’m pregnant,” she’d shared, and I couldn’t help but think that this would be the luckiest of babies born into a new, if exceptionally dangerous, world.
The computer they’d found for me sat on the desk, but I ignored it for now, settling in with a notepad and pen.
How long I’d been working when the rap on the door caught my attention I couldn’t say. Leroy stepped inside and dropped into the seat opposite me. “You didn’t make lunch in the eatery. I’ve brought you something.”
The stew smelled appetizing, and my stomach rumbled, reminding me I’d skipped breakfast too. “I got sidetracked.” I indicated to the piles of files I’d created on the table behind me.
