“I know that. I’m not stupid,” Dylan replied, an angry blush staining her cheeks. “But I don’t give a crap about any of that. My place is here, with you and Amy. I can help you to protect her. She deserves a chance to grow up.”
“That’s exactly why you should go. If Tara succeeds in her mission, Amy will have a future. A real future,” Alex argued. “I can’t help them, but you can.”
“This is bullshit!”
“No, it’s not. Think about it for a second,” Alex insisted. “I don’t want Amy to spend the rest of her life hiding. You’ve got a chance to change that. You, Tara, and Saul.”
Dylan looked away. “What if something happens to you while I’m gone? I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”
“Nothing will happen, I promise. We’ll be safe here. There’s plenty of food, water, and guns. All we need to do is lie low and wait it out.”
“Wait for what? The cure? The vaccine? It’s a fairy tale, Alex. It’ll never happen. Even if Fort Detrick is still running, it won’t be for long. You saw what happened at Fort Knox. You were there for God’s sake.”
“I saw, but I still think it’s worth the risk.”
“And if Fort Detrick is gone?” Dylan asked. “What then?”
“If Fort Detrick is zombie food, at least you’ll know you tried, and you can always come back here.”
“And what if it isn’t gone? You can’t stay here forever. You’ll run out of stuff sooner or later.”
Alex smiled. “Then I expect you to bring back the cavalry and escort us to our new home.”
Dylan snorted. “Yeah right. You’re so full of shit. You’d deserve it if I left you here to rot, you know?”
His smile broadened. “Luckily, “I’ve got Amy. You might leave me here, but you won’t abandon her.”
Dylan punched him on the shoulder. “You’ve got that right!”
“Is that a yes then? Will you go with Tara and Saul?”
Dylan hesitated for a couple of seconds before nodding curtly. “Fine, I’ll go, but I’m not happy about it, and you’ll have to break the news to Amy.”
Alex winced. “Ouch. You drive a hard bargain.”
She shrugged. “You asked for it.”
“I’ll talk to her now, and I promised to help Saul load the Humvee,” Alex said, turning toward the house.
“Off you go. I’ll stand guard for a while,” Dylan said, turning away to face the night.
Alex paused for a moment, gathering the courage to face Amy. He did not look forward to breaking the news. She was crazy over Dylan and would take it hard. Still, he believed it was the right thing to do — the only thing to do. Sucking in a deep breath, he stepped inside. “Here goes nothing.”
Chapter 9 - Dylan
Dylan rubbed her hands together before tucking them underneath her armpits. The temperature was dropping by the second, and the night promised to be a bitter one. She tried looking through the binoculars but gave up. It wasn’t like she could see anything. It negated the purpose of standing guard, and she was about to go back into the house. I might as well get some rest while I can. Who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow?
Then the door opened, and Tara stepped outside. “Dylan? Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Of course,” Dylan said, turning to face her.
“I just wanted to thank you for changing your mind.”
Dylan huffed. “I didn’t.”
Tara frowned. “But, Alex said you were coming with us tomorrow.”
“I am, but not because I want to. Alex forced me. Practically blackmailed me with talk of Amy’s future, and all that.”
“I see,” Tara said. “Nevertheless, I’m grateful.”
“Look, I get what you’re trying to do. It’s admirable, and I get why you’re doing it too. You feel guilty about not stopping the virus earlier. But I’m not one for grand gestures. For me, it’s all about survival. Making it from one day to the next.”
“Why is that?” Tara asked.
“Because no one ever looked out for me. The world that you’re trying to save wasn’t so great for everybody. Not that I want flesh-eating corpses to take over, but what we lost isn’t such a big deal.”
“You’re right. The old world wasn’t perfect, but nothing is. Maybe this is our chance to start over. Maybe this time, we can do a better job. Once the zombies are gone, it’s a clean slate for humanity.”
Dylan shrugged. “Maybe. All I know is that Amy deserves a better life, and that’s why I’m going with you. I’ll do for her what nobody did for me.”
“By leaving me?” Amy cried, appearing out of nowhere. “Is that how you’re looking out for me?”
Dylan jumped. “Jeez, don’t do that. You scared the shit out of me.”
“Like I even care!”
“Shush, keep your voice down. Do you want to draw every damn zombie in the area?” Dylan said in a hushed tone of voice.
Amy shot Dylan a mutinous glare, while Tara looked from the one to the other. “Uh, I’ll just…go.”
She ducked inside the house, and Dylan was left facing a furious Amy. “Amy, I—”
“You said you’d stay. You said we were family. You lied.”
“I didn’t lie. You are family to me,” Dylan said. “I care about you more than I’ve ever cared about anyone before.” Even Frankie.
“Really? All those hours we spent in the hospital…it was all for nothing, wasn’t it?” Amy cried. “You couldn’t wait to leave us.”
Dylan’s heart twisted in her chest. “I don’t want to leave you, sweetie. I want to stay.”
“Then prove it. Stay.” Amy’s hands were balled into fists by her side, and tears glinted in her eyes.
“I can’t. Tara and Saul need my help. This mission is important. You know that. Please, try to understand,” Dylan pleaded.
“Save it for someone who cares,” Amy said. “Because I sure don’t. I hate you!”
“Amy, please listen.”
Amy whirled around and ran into the house while Dylan stood frozen to the spot, stricken.
