“Yeah, kiddo? What is it?” Rikke asked, glancing at the steaming bowl.
“I found instant noodles in the cupboard, and the kettle was full,” Arely replied.
“Noodles?” Rikke exclaimed, her nostrils flaring at the beefy aroma. Her stomach growled. She hadn’t had a hot meal in ages. “What about Eli?”
“He already had his, and so did I,” Arely replied, blowing on the hot food.
“Thanks, kiddo. It smells delicious. Tell me when it cools down a bit,” Rikke replied. She drove for another couple of miles before taking the bowl from Arely. “Here, you hold the wheel steady while I eat. I don’t want to stop.”
Arely giggled as she grasped the steering and kept the RV on the straight and narrow while Rikke quickly slurped down the noodles. Afterward, she took back control of the vehicle and said, “That was great, Arely. Maybe it’s time I teach you how to drive.”
Arely glanced over her shoulder before shaking her head. “Eli doesn’t agree.”
“Yeah? What’s wrong?” Rikke asked.
“He says that was very irresponsible of us. You should’ve pulled over,” Arely explained.
Rikke shrugged. “I suppose he’s right. That was kind of dangerous. Sorry, Eli!”
“Eli says it’s okay, but to be more careful next time,” Arely replied, translating Eli’s gestures.
“I promise, Eli. Pinky swear,” Rikke said.
They drove in silence for a bit before Arely asked, “Where are we going?”
Rikke glanced at the younger girl. “Well, you remember that couple we ran into at the last town?”
“The ones who were going to that fort or something?” Arely asked. “They were nice. You don’t get many nice people anymore.”
“Yeah, you’re right, kiddo. Nice people are scarce nowadays,” Rikke said. “Anyway, I thought we could also give that fort a try.”
“You mean, we stay there?” Arely asked.
“Only if it’s safe,” Rikke added. “And the people have to be good people.”
“I don’t know. The last bunch we ended up with looked like good people, but in the end…” Arely trailed off, her expression pained.
Rikke sighed. Arely was right. The previous group they teamed up with seemed nice at first but quickly turned nasty when the supplies ran low. Then it was every kid for him or herself while the adults took everything. “I won’t allow anything like that to happen ever again. I promise.”
“I know, Rikke. You’ve always looked after us,” Arely said.
“It’s been my pleasure, kiddo,” Rikke said, remembering the day she first found Arely and Eli. They were stuck in a car by the side of the road, surrounded by a group of infected. Their mother was one of them, killed, and turned when she tried to gather fuel for their empty tank.
At first, Rikke didn’t know what to do. She had no weapons besides a butcher’s knife stuck in her belt, and the zombies were fresh. Fresh meant uber fast, mean, and strong. She stood no chance against them at all. Then she thought of a plan. Draw them away from the kids.
In the end, the rescue attempt was both simple and successful. She set off a couple of car alarms further up the street before biking around the block. After gathering up the children, she took them to her hidey-hole in a church attic. There were plenty of food and water on-site thanks to a recent food drive for the poor. Enough to last them a couple of months.
They stayed there until winter set in, and the infected left for warmer climes. She should’ve known they’d come back, though. That was her mistake. Now, she could only hope that Fort Detrick was everything the couple had claimed it to be. A safe haven where they’d have a fair shot at survival and a decent life.
The only problem was that the fort was a myth. A magical place spoken about by people who heard about it from other people: and those people heard about it by radio. There was nothing concrete—no solid news.
Now that the zombies were on the move, every Tom, Dick, and Harry were making their way there. Both the good and the bad. Rikke wasn’t at all confident that it was the right place to take young Arely and Eli.
Especially Eli.
Despite his intelligence, or perhaps because of it, Eli was a sensitive kid. He was kind and caring. The type who’d give someone his last bite to eat if they were hungry, or his jacket if they were cold.
At that moment, Arely shifted forward in her seat and pointed at an object lying next to the road. “What’s that?”
Rikke squinted into the distance. “I don’t know.”
As they drew closer, she shifted gears and slowed down until the object revealed itself as a person. Not far away lay a mangled motorbike crashed into a tree. “It’s a person, and it looks like he or she had an accident.”
“Are you going to stop?” Arely asked, her expression anxious.
“I don’t know. It could be dangerous. Or that person could be dead,” Rikke reasoned.
“Please, stop. Let’s just take a closer look,” Arely pleaded.
“Fine, but don’t get out. Either of you,” Rikke said, pushing the brakes. She had to use her injured foot to do it and even taped up like it was, it hurt. It hurt like mad.
The RV rolled to a stop next to the motionless figure on the ground, and Rikke got up. With her gun in hand, she hobbled toward the door and opened it. With the barrel pointing at the person in the dirt, she said, “Stay back, Arely and Eli. I’m warning you.”
“Okay,” Arely said, her voice somewhat breathless.
Rikke used her free hand for support as she climbed out of their vehicle and walked toward the stranger. Each step was agony. The cut in her foot was deep and needed medical attention. That was another reason she considered going to the fort. If she were lucky, they’d have a doctor or nurse who could help her.
As she drew closer, Rikke took in the finer details of the person
