“Follow me and be redeemed!” He swung his arm forward and began marching towards the alley beside the target.
As he approached, he slowly raised his hand in the air. “Stop.” He spun and glared at the still approaching army. “Kneel!”
When they all fell to one knee, he turned back and stared at the large sign. It appeared to be hand painted—and sloppily, at that.
“‘We welcome all through our gates. If you can read this’…blah blah blah…explosives?” He stepped closer and squinted at the faded writing. “‘Each improvised explosive device is painted a bright safety orange.’” He leaned to the side and glanced down the darkened alley at all of the bright orange devices.
“Heathens!” he growled as he turned back to the sign. “‘The infected can’t read and won’t realize’…blah blah blah…‘our borders are open on three sides with clear visibility. This alley is the only bind spot so if you choose to approach, use extreme caution.’”
He huffed as he stepped away and glared into the shadows again. “Damn them.”
He pulled the black hat from his head and dabbed at the sweat on his forehead. He planted it firmly again atop his head then turned to his soldiers. “Change of plans, children.” He pointed back the way they came. “We attack from the other side.”
He marched through the gathered throng and when he had broken their ranks he ordered over his shoulder, “Rise!” He heard the group grunt in unison as they came to their feet.
“Come!”
He smirked as the men fell into step behind, following him to the end of the block. “The cleansing will be glorious!”
25
As the sun began to set, Rich slipped out through the back door and approached the wall. He scanned both areas then pulled a two way radio from his bag. “Larry, this is Rich. Do you copy?”
He waited a moment before the radio squelched. “I’m here. What took you so long?”
“There’s a shit ton of people here, man. I have to be careful not to be seen.” He glanced both ways again then hunkered in the tall grass. “This place is a gold mine. You need to let Willie know that Hatcher wasn’t bullshitting.”
“Hot and cold water?” Larry asked.
Rich chuckled as he keyed the radio. “Dude, they even got microwaves.” He settled back and stared over the top of the grass. “They got full electric, televisions, the works.”
“Nobody is broadcasting for the TVs dumbass.” Larry bit back.
Rich rolled his eyes. “Ever hear of DVDs? I’m telling ya, it’s like the world never ended here. And it’s all set up and waiting for us.”
There was a short pause before Larry came back over the radio. “I’ll tell him, but you know he’s gonna want to know their strength. How many people are there?”
Rich sighed. “A lot. And yes, they’re armed to the teeth. They got sentries at the gates and roving patrols to make sure nothing hops the wall. They’re pretty strong on security…”
“Don’t leave me hanging, asshole. What aren’t you telling me?”
Rich keyed the radio again. “To be honest, the few security guys I’ve talked to are fuckin’ stupid. I don’t know if they’d have the guts to pull the trigger.”
“I’ll pass it on. Can you radio again tomorrow? I’ll let you know what Willie says.”
“All I can do is try. Are you settled in okay there?”
“I had to relocate. Those damned mountains made it near impossible to reach Willie and still pick you up.”
Rich cursed quietly. “Where are you now?”
“Piss ant town called Little Dove. I found an old airport to hole up in. The fences are still standing so I think I’m okay for a while.”
“Copy that.” Rich stared up at the darkening sky for a moment. “How far out are you?”
“About a day’s drive from where you are.”
“Okay. I’m gonna wrap this up tomorrow then see about heading your way the day after.”
“Why so soon?”
Rich stared across the grass towards the houses. “Because Willie needs a firsthand account of this place. I can’t do that over the radio.”
“Copy.”
“They’re supposed to take me to their old place and let me check out the set up there tomorrow morning. I’ll have more to report tomorrow night.”
“Be safe, brother. If they get the slightest bit squirrelly, you get your ass out of there.”
“Copy that. Listen for me around sundown tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow.”
Rich heard the radio squelch again and turned his off. He slipped it back into his satchel and stood from the grass.
As he walked back towards the house, he couldn’t be certain if these people were truly that trusting or just stupid. Resources were too limited for folks to simply offer a helping hand. He knew from personal experience that nothing was ever free.
He pushed open the rear gate and entered the yard of Hatcher’s home. He stood in the deepening darkness and watched as the lights began to glow in the scattered houses. He smiled to himself as he pictured settling into a recliner after a hard day, a cold brew in his hand, his favorite movie starting up.
“Yeah.” He stepped onto the patio and reached for the door. “It’s gonna be nice here.”
Broussard stared at the lights as they dimmed and went out. The emergency lights automatically came up and cast the lab in a soft red glow. “I guess that’s it for today, people.” He turned and stripped the gloves from his hands and pulled his mask off. “Tomorrow is a brand new day.”
He waited as the researchers left the lab then pulled the door shut behind him. Carol slipped in beside him. “I’ll be glad when we have steady power.”
“As will I.” He shot her a bemused look. “Unless we all start glowing in the dark because of it.”
“We’ll be much easier to find if we do.” She poked him in the ribs. “You don’t seriously think that the reactor will be a problem, do you?”
He shook his head as he opened the stairwell door. “Not really.” As they began to ascend the steps he
