John looked shocked; then his face turned a special shade of red, telling Jared he’d crossed a line. Jared glanced at Barry, who gave him a quizzical look, which Jared ignored, before turning back to Stephani.
“Bottom line is if you come back with us to the hills, it’s going to have to be later, but I have a thought on how we can make that happen and still keep everyone as safe as possible,” Jared added.
“How’s that, skipper?” John sneered.
Jared tried to ignore the jab as he continued, “We’ll go back to Devon’s place, which is as safe and secure as any place I’ve seen in the city. You two can stay there while Devon gets us to the foothills over in Cupertino. He’ll come back and make sure you guys get food and water and stay off the radar. The three of us have to get up to Woodside and bring back a guy who is going to help us with a solar-power issue we have.”
“Solar-power issue?” Stephani asked, her nose scrunched in question.
“Yeah, the issue is we have none,” Jared replied flatly.
After everyone agreed to no touching, no sharing beds, and to look out for one another, the group of six headed back to Devon’s iron shop. Once they arrived back at the iron shop, Devon explained where everything was and how he laid low, staying out of sight unless he was out hunting. Jared reminded him the girls could never go out with him, then stopped short of explaining why.
The teen stammered and stuttered his way through explaining his ironworks shop and how to get in and out, and where to hide in the ventilation ducts below the floors if someone entered the building. Once the women were as comfortable as one could be with Devon’s accommodations, the men prepared to leave. Jared reminded the girls that Devon wouldn’t return for a couple of days, so not to worry and remain hidden. He also felt the women’s angst as it hung thick in the air over being left alone so soon after being released from the horrors of the biker compound.
Before either of the women could pitch a fit, Jared spoke up. “It’s all happening pretty quickly, and I can only guess you two are feeling out of sorts with us bringing you back here and immediately leaving you alone.”
“What if we just left?” Stephani spouted with a tension-laced voice.
Jared shrugged slightly. “Then you take off and make your own way. We weren’t kidding before when we told you ladies you were free to go.” Jared paused before thoughtfully continuing, “I just think you’d fit in with our group, and I don’t think you’re going to do well out here with just the two of you, but we do have to go now. Like I told you guys, we have people waiting for us back home.”
Claire remained slumped shouldered and silent throughout the exchange, and now Stephani’s shoulders sagged as she nodded her head slowly. “Okay, we’ll wait here.”
Before leaving the shop, Barry, John and Jared pulled out half their food rations and left them for Stephani and Claire. Jared felt whatever the two women had gone through at the hands of the bikers was likely on the darker side of horrific, so eating rats with this semi-weird teen might not be the best for their current mental state. Leaving their rations would, at the very least, alleviate them having to consume any of the local rodent population.
The three men along with the teen made their way through the city without encountering a single soul. By the following day, Devon left the three men at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, but before he departed, John grabbed him by the shoulder.
“Listen up, young buck, those girls have been through a lot—don’t do anything weird when you get back.”
Devon tried to pull away as he shook his head fearfully.
“I’m not fucking around, bro. Just take care of what they need, and otherwise leave ’em the fuck alone unless they ask you to do something—got it?” John growled, pulling the teen even closer.
Devon nearly rattled a tooth loose nodding his head in short and choppy nods. John released the terrorized kid, who nearly ran as he headed back the way they had all come.
Jared waited till Devon was out of earshot before turning to John. “You need to—”
John actually placed his hand over Jared’s mouth, then gently shoved him back. “You’re on my shit list, man. What the fuck was that yesterday with the ‘she’s my girlfriend’ shit?”
Jared stared at the ground, collected himself, then stared John directly in the face. “You’re right, it was out of line and childish, and I’m sorry for saying it.”
“Childish and wrong—yes, you’re dead wrong. There’s nothing between us, and why the fuck would you care anyway?”
“I don’t care. What I care about is we should all be working together as equals. Yeah, I shouldn’t have taken a shot at you in front of those girls, but you shouldn’t insult Barry and the kid with all that Nancy and No Gun shit.”
The two men stared at each other, Jared’s chest heaving with the anxiety of taking on this man he knew full well was superior to him in battle, albeit not everything else. Barry stopped when the two started in on each other, and stared, his mouth hanging slightly ajar.
“Alright, if we’re getting shit off our chest—Barry, your condescending bullshit stops now. We all know you’re wicked smart, but you don’t have to shove it in our faces.”
“Enough!” Jared yelled. “Enough of this stupid infighting. Jesus, guys, we all have something to offer here. John, you can’t shoot your way out of this societal collapse any more than Barry or I
