When they arrived back at highway 7 Jake demonstrated his ability to get the zombies out of their way, the horde, which had spread out long the exit ramp by this time, parted from the vehicles like the Red Sea before Moses. After seeing his power demonstrated Bob positively warmed up to Jake, and the others started feeling like they had gotten a good bargain for the help he would be giving them too.
At the motorcycle shop, they picked up three off road bikes suitable for the fourteen year olds to ride, one was a spare. All of the bikes were fairly light weight and did not boast a lot of power. Steve said they would not go too fast either, perhaps eighty miles an hour at top speed. Seth demonstrated his ability to ride by taking his chosen motorcycle for a spin, which led to Becka having to show the group that she could ride too. She promptly crashed her chosen motorcycle into the side of an abandoned car. Dora thought Becka had killed herself, but the girl just rolled away from the bike and got up with a flushed red face. While a couple of the men ran to her aid, she stepped back over to the bike and jerked it up off the ground. By the time the men got to her she had it started again and was ready to ride, this time she didn't run into anything.
'So you think she really could ride a motorcycle?' Jake said softly from behind Dora.
'Yeah, she was just nervous, maybe a little rusty too. Did you see how she got it up and started it on her own? I couldn't have done that, I think she did something with her feet too, brakes or something?'
'Shifting with one foot, the back brake with the right foot.' Jake said.
'Still feeling like you got a bad deal?'
'Ask me in three days.'
Chapter 35
The caravan arrived back before sunset, stopping only to drop Jake off just out of sight in an abandoned house before getting pulling into Doraville. Dora and Jake thought it might be best to break the news of the deal to the town without him being present, in case there were some serious objections. Dora promised to return the buses if the council would not agree to the deal. Once inside the gates Dora immediately called a council meeting, where Mary railed at her for the head wound. Seth was also in the 'clinic' during the meeting and Mary disinfected his wound and wrapped it up again.
'Alright Seth you are good enough, go on, just rest tonight, no guard duty.' Mary said.
'Can't I stay?'
'No.' said Dora firmly, 'I need you to talk to the other juniors and see if anyone else has spoken to Willy. We need to get in touch with him, so you go find out who saw him last and get back to me after the meeting. And keep your mouth shut about what happened today, okay?'
'Yeah, yeah, you told me already!' grumbled the boy.
Dora and Steve had spoken to the other people who had helped get the buses when they dropped Jake off. They told them to stay quiet until the town meeting later that evening.
Paige had a huge pot of stew heating up on an electric heating element on the granite counter and most of the council members had a bowl in front of them. Mary helped herself to dinner and frowned when she saw Dora didn't have a bowl. She put the bowl she had down in front of the other woman and said, 'Eat.', then went and got another for herself.
The other council members watched the interaction, but didn't say anything. Dora grudgingly spooned a little into her mouth, then nibbled on some crackers they had taken in one of their food raids a while back. Everyone from the council was there Mary, Alex, Leon, Paige, Steve and Freddie. They all knew something had happened on the trip to get the buses and were wondering what had caused Dora to appear so animated.
'So,' started Leon, 'You agreed to this?' He was the first to speak after Dora filled them in on the details of the deal she wanted to make.
'Well everyone there did yes.' said Steve.
'He is worth it. He can keep the shamblers off our backs and might be able to help with any of the super zombies we run into, what is wrong with the deal?' asked Dora.
'It's because he is one of them. He isn't on our side.' said Alex, 'I know I am not giving him Peter's blood, no way.' Mary nodded approvingly.
'No one has to, I will pay him off month by month if I need to, but I want him. Steve and I saw first-hand what he can do. It's not even for the buses, we know we could get those somewhere else if we had to.'
'I'll pay him. And help you pay for anyone who doesn't want to pay Dora.' said Freddie.
'Good, that makes three of us, so that is like fifty pints each at this point.' said Dora.
Steven nodded, 'So Teflon Freddie, why will you pay? This is the kind of thing you normally get out of.'
'Well I didn't say I would pay with my own blood, but I will come up with something.' Freddie laughed at their expressions, 'Look around, we are in charge here, we are the leaders, we lead by setting the example. I knew when I joined the council that I would have to make sacrifices for the people. That is how government is supposed to work, a thankless job for the leaders. When push comes to shove, I'll do my part.' he winked at Dora, who smiled back.
'Okay, so that is three in favor for certain, Leon, Mary, Alex and Paige you have to decide where you stand, you could still kill this deal.' said Steve.
'I think we know enough to decide on it now.' said Leon, 'I just didn't want to make a decision too hastily.'
'I vote with Dora, she has made some fucked up decisions, none more questionable than this one, but in the past she was right.' said Paige.
Dora nodded once to Paige, 'Eloquent, thanks.'
'Then that is it, you have four votes to our three.' said Alex.
'When have we ever let you off the hook that easy, every one weighs in, everyone votes.' said Dora.
'Hah,' said Leon, 'it's unanimous, of course. We have to provide a united front to the others. It sounds too good to be true, a zombie to lead us through the other zombies, but I'll pay the price. Alex? Mary?'
'Unanimous. It needs to be. It's probably the last decision we'll make as a council, after this trip we can lay the mantle of governance at the Iowan's feet.' said Mary, 'Don't think for a second that I agree with feeding this monster, but if it means one more person gets through alive I'm willing.'
Alex nodded and said, 'I'll go along with it too, despite my reservations. When are you going to tell the others Dora?'
'The sooner the better. How about in twenty minutes before it gets too dark?'
'I'll round everyone up, let's do it half at a time. Maybe Seth will get back with news on Willy by then too.' said Paige.
As everyone went about their business Dora approached Mary, 'How are Peter and Mike doing?'
'As well as we can expect. I am more worried about Seth. You have someone watching him? If he turns, well we don't need that right now do we?'
Dora shook her head, 'No, I don't have anyone watching him, but when he gets back with news on Willy you need to tell him to come back in the morning to eat breakfast here so you can change the bandages again. You should know if it is getting infected by then.'
'It has taken up to five days for the infection to show before, remember Kline?' Dora nodded, she remember the old man who was bite early on, the all thought he was going to make it, but he turned five days after a pretty terrible mauling during the height of the zombie tide, 'Well, Seth barely got nipped, and the zombie didn't even make it through his cloths. I won't stop wondering about him until the scratches are fully healed, but I think he might be okay. Do you know how you are going to tell the people?'
'Oh probably the brutal truth will be good enough. Are you going to be around for moral support?'
'Yeah, just let me run a bowl of this over to Tim.'
'You need any help with that?'
'From you? No. You are the last person he wants to see. He belly aches about you every time I see him. I only let him off his chain when I have someone else to cover me, so there is no danger of him pulling anything
