Nikki looked at Serena. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset her with all my questions.”
“It’s alright,” Serena said.
“Can I ask how she was killed?”
“There was this group of thugs who called themselves the Blackjacks who had wandered into the area. Fred and Sarah were helping a couple who had moved into a house near Mount Weather. One of the Blackjacks shot Sarah with a sniper rifle.”
“Damn,” Nikki muttered.
“Yeah, but Fred got payback. He hunted them all down and killed them.”
“How many were there?” she asked.
“Thirteen,” Serena replied.
“Thirteen? Holy hell.”
“Oh, there’s more. He scalped them.”
Nikki’s eyes widened. “What? He scalped them?”
“Yeah, all thirteen of them.”
“Holy hell,” she muttered again.
“Yeah. Mister Fred has always been kind toward me. He’s nice to everyone who deserves it, but don’t get on his bad side. D-Day is lucky he still has his hair.”
Nikki slapped her knee. “No shit.” She then glanced down the hallway and lowered her voice. “How did the two of them end up together?”
Serena smiled. “Rachel decided she liked him, and that was that.”
Nikki laughed now.
“How old are you?” Serena asked.
“Nineteen, how about you?”
“Sixteen.” She held Kaitlin close and bounced her baby on her knee. “I know, I’m a little young to be having a kid, but things happen, you know?”
Nikki nodded.
“What’s a soap opera?” Serena asked.
Nikki smiled. “Back before there were these shows on TV that were called soap operas.”
Serena nodded and was about to say something else, but Rachel walked back into the kitchen and sat.
“Sorry about that. I loved Sarah with all my heart. It’s still hard for me.”
“I understand,” Nikki said.
“So, I heard you say you’re nineteen?”
“Yeah. I was nine when shit hit the fan,” Nikki said.
“Tell us a little about yourself,” Rachel urged.
“My parents became infected almost immediately. I was rescued by some neighbors. They still live in Shenandoah. Oh, and you don’t have to worry about me having eyes for Fred. I mean, he’s old enough to be my dad.”
“Mine too,” Rachel said and burst out in giggles at her own joke.
“How old are you, if you don’t mind my asking?” Nikki asked.
“Just turned twenty-nine,” Rachel answered, and then gave a wink.
Nikki nodded and smiled, although she suspected Rachel was fibbing a little. It caused her to ponder the considerable age difference between her and Fred, but she could see how a woman, even a woman in her twenties, could fall for him. He had rugged good looks and she saw him fight; the man was strong and tough as nails. And from the stories, the man really was a bad ass. She briefly thought about what it’d be like to sleep with him, but quickly quashed it. She wasn’t after Fred for a sexual relationship. She’d already said that to Rachel and repeated it. Rachel laughed.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m not worried about that. Fred is old school. Old, old school. He’d never cheat on me.”
“It must be cool having that kind of man,” Nikki said.
“It is, but I was wondering about you. Why are you single and why don’t you have a kid or two already?” Rachel asked. “You’re a good-looking woman. You must have plenty of men chasing after you.” Rachel then gave one of her mischievous grins. “Or women.”
Nikki shrugged. “I was sixteen when I had my first real boyfriend. He was a typical immature asshole and dumped me about a week after he took my virginity. About a year later, I met Colton, and he was great. We knew we were meant for each other and had made so many plans for our future. One day we were out hunting, and a damned snake spooked his horse. It bucked and threw him. He hit his head and got knocked out. He came to a couple of minutes later and I thought he was going to be okay, but about an hour later he had a seizure, passed out, and never woke up.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Rachel said.
“Thanks,” Nikki said.
She thought about Colton often. It was good between them, most of the time. Both had fiery tempers though. She absently rubbed her nose, remembering how it got broken.
“Since then, I haven’t really settled down with anyone, man or woman,” she said with a small smile. “I’m sure I will one day, but in the meantime, I want to learn everything I can about survival.”
Rachel nodded in understanding. “If anyone could teach you, it’d be Fred.”
“Or Zach, but he’s not here,” Serena lamented. “I wish they’d come back. Nikki, did you ever meet Zach and his wife?”
“I met Zach one day, but not his wife,” Nikki said. “I’ve heard a lot about him too.”
“Yeah, he’s something else. I miss all of them terribly,” Rachel said. “If Zach and Kelly decide they’re your friends, they’ll do anything for you and they’ll always have your back.” She looked out the window toward the barn. “It’s the same with Fred.”
Nikki nodded as she looked out the window. “I can see that.”
Fred and Sammy emerged from the barn thirty minutes later. Dinner was soon served, and they conversed about the recent events while they ate. Fred mostly listened in silence, only speaking when Rachel would ask him a specific question.
When dinner was over, the two men cleaned up the kitchen while the women sat in the den on a large leather couch. Fred had added a couple of split logs to the fireplace in the den and it was soon basked in warmth. When he and Sammy had finished their kitchen chores and joined the women, Rachel had an announcement.
“I think I’d like for Nikki to go with you,” she said to Fred.
Fred arched an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Two reasons. One, she’s absolutely right. You are a wealth of knowledge, Fred McCoy, and you need to be teaching all of what you know to other people who are worthy of it.”
“What’s the other reason?” Sammy asked.
“Because my adorable husband needs someone to watch his back when he’s out
