Vin scowled. “And did you think I was a lesser man before this?”
The sheriff smiled. “Of course not. I’m just paying you a compliment. You deserve praise after your heroic actions.”
Janice saw a hint of a blush on Vin’s face. “It’s nothing you wouldn’t have done.”
The sheriff raised his eyebrow. “I am an officer of the law. I have responsibilities. You have none. I thank you for your selfless actions.”
“Um . . . er . . . you’re welcome.”
“Emily,” the sheriff said, “I have a daughter in Heaven, who was your age, maybe a bit older. A son, too.”
“What about your parents?” Emily asked. “Are they in Heaven, too?”
“They may be. I don’t know for sure.”
“Why?”
“Because . . . well . . . because the same type of people that killed your parents, and your brother, may have killed them, too, but I don’t know for sure.”
“Why?”
“Why what? Why did they kill them, or why don’t I know for sure?”
Emily looked up at Janice. “I don’t know.”
“Sheriff, why don’t you tell Emily about your daughter.”
“Ah, my daughter. Well, she was a smart and brave little girl like you, Emily.” Tears fell down the sheriff’s cheeks.
“I think the sheriff should give you a hug,” Janice said. “Would you like a hug from the sheriff?”
Emily looked at the sheriff and paused a few seconds.
“If the sheriff doesn’t mind, of course.” Janice realized too late she may have put the sheriff in a bind.
But he smiled despite his tears, despite the pain he must feel inside. Janice realized how lucky she was that she had no one close that was now dead or a zombie.
Most likely zombies. They hadn’t come across any dead bodies yet.
“Not at all,” the sheriff said. “Emily, would you like a hug?”
Emily nodded, and in their embrace, the sheriff broke down in sobs. Janice recalled how the sheriff hadn’t been coy about having shot his own wife and daughter.
For no apparent reason, it occurred to Janice that this might be the rapture as prophesied in Revelations. She had sworn off religion though, after her husband died, but she never truly stopped believing. She just stopped caring.
And despite everyone’s obvious grief and pain, Janice fell into melancholy because she had no one to grieve about.
Day Five
“You want me to take apart my gun and put it back together,” Jize said while all the adults gathered around a table in the break room. Emily was asleep on the filthy couch. “With these hands.” He looked at his delicate hands once more, turning them over and back, as if looking for the slightest blemish.
Alexander thought Jize absurd.
“Those hands have a lot of dexterity,” Alexander pointed out. “This shouldn’t be a problem for you.”
“I do not refer to my ability, but I cannot afford to harm my hands.”
“Oh, not this again,” Vin said.
“Here. I’ll show you,” Alexander said, taking off the clip of his handgun. “It’s easy once you’ve practiced it.”
“Do I look like an idiot?”
Yes. Yes, you do.
“I’m sure I can learn, but my hands are valuable. They’re insured for millions.”
Alexander rolled his eyes. “And what insurance company will pay out?”
“China. They are in China. The zombie attacks may not have been so bad there. Maybe one day we can get there—”
Unbelievable. We have the eternal optimist.
“And how are you going to get to China? Through Denver International Airport? A cargo ship?”
“Yes, we should consider all of those things.”
Alexander brought his eyes up to the fluorescent lights in the ceiling, then back down to Jize’s eyes. He shook his head. “You won’t get anywhere if you can’t care for and use your gun safely.”
“But if I meet the right people—”
“You won’t meet the right people,” Alexander explained. What is this guy, an almost seventy-year-old child? “Not unless you’re incredibly lucky; no one will tolerate anyone who doesn’t know how to use a gun.”
“Like you will not tolerate me.”
“Yes. I won’t tolerate you until you learn how to use that thing safely.” Alexander realized he should take advantage of the moment. “That goes for you, too, Janice. I have a concealed carry permit; I know how to use a handgun. And then Vin and the sheriff are willing to teach us how to use their shotguns. They are being very generous—“
“Ha!—” Janice interrupted.
“You think this is funny?” Alexander asked.
“I think you should cut the crap,” Janice said. “You want us to learn so that when you leave us, you won’t feel so guilty.”
“Excuse me?” the sheriff said.
Janice looked sheepish. She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m under a lot of stress. We’re all under a lot of stress. Thank you for instructing us on using these guns. Jize?”
“Yes,” Jize said. “Thank you. It’s just . . .” He looked once more at his hands and continued to study them as he said, “Thank you.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Day Six
“What are you reading?” Alexander asked Janice the next day. Janice was off by herself, sitting alone in a chair in the canned food aisle. Alexander was there to get himself some chicken soup when he bumped into her. It occurred to him that she shouldn’t be off by herself like that, but she was an adult, although maybe a stupid one.
“A Western.” Janice did not look up and continued to read the book.
“You’re at an earlier page than I saw you at before. Have you read this multiple times?”
Janice sighed, put down the book, and took off her reading glasses, placing them next to her distance eyeglasses in her lap. Alexander was grateful for his progressive lenses, though he remembered seeing a rack of reading glasses near the pharmacy. He was even more grateful that he had chosen the professorial look of eyeglasses as opposed to contact lenses.
“This is my third time through,” Janice answered.
“But there are other books here. There must be at least a dozen on that rack over there.”
She shrugged. “I like Westerns. I suppose when I get bored with
