Tammy smiled at BB. She then signalled to herself and outside. He understood and nodded.
Tammy opened the door as quietly as possible and left the Humvee. She took a step away from the vehicle and looked up at the pale sky. It was a typical fresh fall morning. The air had lost its last hint of summer heat and now carried a chill with it. Tammy was grateful for the army jacket she was wearing. Her gaze drifted down from the sky and she regarded her surroundings. They had parked in the middle of a large, empty field, in the middle of...
Well, nowhere.
Tammy looked around for a place to pee. There would be no privacy for her out here. But thankfully also no zombies. She made her way to the rear of the Humvee to do her business and contemplated the night before.
She recalled the run from the military camp and remembered the surprise they all had felt when they saw zombies at the gate and along the fence. They passed more as they drove away in the dark, without truly knowing where they were going themselves.
How did they find us? Did they follow the daily convoys of soldiers? They had wondered.
They ended up taking a turn down a secondary road and followed the next highway they found. That was when they got Garcia’s call.
Unfortunately, Willemtown was almost seventy miles away, and they were traveling in the opposite direction. There was a short discussion about what to do. In the end they all agreed that they had to go to Willemtown.
Mike had argued that they could travel part of the way there but should look for a place to hole up for the night. He felt that it would be too risky to attempt a rescue at night. They agreed, so Abi started scouring the map for a place that was out of the way.
So here they were. Out of the way. Still about fifty miles away from Willemtown. The drive so far was fairly uneventful. Mike only had to dodge a couple of zombies in the road. But the next part of the route would take them past a few towns, and it could get pretty hairy.
As if the last week hadn’t been hairy enough!
Tammy finished and pulled her pants up as she stood up. She heard somebody stirring inside the Humvee now. She took a deep breath and noticed how fresh the air tasted.
Is that even possible after just a few days? I guess so.
The group spent the next hour having breakfast and taking the chance to clean themselves up. There was a small creek that ran at the edge of the open field. Tammy was thankful that they had packed a good supply of toiletries, as she brushed her teeth while watching Steve work up the courage to dunk his head in the creek. The water was so cold that it took the air out of his lungs. But Steve found out that it was an invigorating experience as well. They all took advantage of the fresh, icy water and the group returned to the Humvee with red but wide-awake faces.
Mike took a few moments to go over the map and outlined their best route. It wasn’t the shortest route, but it avoided most populated places. He figured that they would get to Willemtown in a couple of hours.
They all prepared to get back into the vehicle. Tammy surprised herself with her positive feelings. They were alive and it looked like the syndrome had not affected them. It was now time to find others like them.
“And then what?” Breanne asked, when Tammy had given voice to her thoughts. Tammy had her back to Breanne. She contemplated her answer as she was pulling her hair into a tight ponytail. Her eyes scanned the countryside.
She found that the others were also looking at her when she turned to face Breanne. Mike was in the drivers’ seat already. His kind eyes met hers and his mouth curved in a rueful smile. Abi was standing beside Breanne. The two women could have been sisters, except where one looked innocent and hopeful, the other looked experienced and jaded.
Maybe that’s the way it is with real sisters.
BB and Steve were at the back of the Humvee, getting the supplies put away. They both had paused what they were doing and looked at Tammy questioningly.
Tammy realized that Steve was looking for a father figure. He had latched on to every strong male they had been in contact with.
Now they were all waiting for her. To tell them.
Her eyes got big as she realized she didn’t have an answer.
“I don’t know.” She said in a small voice.
“But we’re going to survive.” She added. This was received with several small nods.
“That’s the least we owe to all the people that gave their lives for us.” She continued with more conviction.
“Now let’s saddle up – we’ve got some folks to rescue.”
Chapter Fifty-four
Romy
November 1, 11:10 AM
The house was silent. The only sound was that of the wind. Back in the living room, it caressed the pages of a hunting magazine, making them flutter. The weather had turned more overcast outside, the sun temporarily hidden from view. It cast a grey pall over the house, giving it an artificial feeling of dusk.
At the back of the hallway, the trapdoor hatch slowly lifted once again.
Romy turned around to look down on the two faces staring up at her.
“Remember, not a sound.” She whispered.
