Steve shifted his weight and nodded. “I agree with them,” he said. “And if we’re in a permanent place, we’d have more than just hope to offer anyone who joined us.”
Nicole turned to Caitlin, clearly fighting a grin. “When?”
Looking around at the rest of the group, she inhaled.
“As soon as we have a home.”
Chapter Five
Kansas
Three Months Later
Caitlin hopped down from the Jeep, swinging her heavy backpack over her shoulder.
“I’mma pull around back,” Booker told her before she closed the door. “Meet ya inside.”
She nodded, smacking the side of the Jeep to let him know he was good to drive and stared up at the brick façade of Roosevelt High School.
It had been a hard fight. The Geeks in the yard were only a hint of the horde that waited for them inside, and they had considered giving up and finding a different place.
And then Seth had the idea to draw them out into a contained funnel and pick them off.
It worked, and miraculously they didn’t lose a single soul that day.
They lost others though. Scouts on supply runs never returned. Their corpses were found weeks later, turned or too eviscerated to become a Geek.
It was a devastating blow to everyone, even to the newcomers who barely knew them.
And there were so many newcomers.
Buses full, and all excited to be outside the grasp of whatever barely functioning government had been ruling inside the camps.
The more people they freed, the less Caitlin slept at night.
But she figured it was a small price to pay for helping them find their loved ones.
Whistling three times, she listened to the sounds of the heavy barricade on the front double doors being moved as she approached.
“Welcome home, traveler,” Steve greeted, pushing open the left door. “Is Booker…?”
Caitlin jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Just pulling the Jeep around. He’ll probably come in the back.”
Closing and securing the door behind her, she turned only to be gathered up in a hug.
“Good to see you,” Steve said. “Feels like every time you leave it’s for longer and longer.”
Giving him a reassuring pat on the back, she said, “We had trouble finding some of the supplies Scott needed. But we got everything on the list.”
“You know, we have other scouts to do this too.”
“And look what happened to them.”
Caitlin immediately wished she could force the words back down her throat and swallow them.
The sorrow in Steve’s eyes cut her to the bone.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” she said hurriedly. “That was uncalled for.” She shook her head. “I didn’t mean they deserved it. I just…”
Caitlin prayed for a hole to open up in the ground and send her to the center of the earth.
No such sinkhole appeared.
“Wow, what an entrance, huh?” She offered a tense smile. “Sure you’re glad to see me now?”
Steve chuckled, shaking his head. “If you think that’s the worst anyone’s stuck their foot in their mouth around me, you’d be mistaken. And yes, I’m still very glad to see you.”
Adjusting the strap of her bag, she shifted her weight.
“Next run I’ll look for beer. As an apology,” she said, giving his arm a squeeze. “Is Nicole around? I have some stuff to give her.”
“Try the cafeteria,” he said. “You’re just in time for dinner.”
Wandering through the halls of what was once a bustling school still felt eerie to Caitlin. Trophy cases filled with awards were dusty but still standing. Bulletin boards with class announcements, encouraging words of success, quotes from founding fathers or inventors, and occasional test announcements still hung on the walls. Most of the lockers had been repurposed for barricading a few of the less frequented exits, but a few still lined the main corridor, padlocks securely in place.
Taking a left, she followed the sounds of people—voices, silverware on plates, the metallic scrape of a chair leg or table as people moved.
Sometimes she missed the quiet of the Midwest plains, being out on the road with Booker and occasionally Nicole.
And sometimes the sounds of people were better than music.
Entering the cafeteria, she was immediately bombarded with excited greetings from every side of the room.
Smiling, she tried responding to everyone but some she could only wave at before another person was dragging her attention away.
Like a road weary Santa Claus, she pulled her bag around and started digging through it.
Art supplies for Vanessa. Sewing needles and thread for Sister Agnes. Christian rock CDs for Alonzo. Pulp detective novels for Edward.
Condoms for Nathaniel.
She decided to wait to give those to him in private.
It wasn’t the most natural thing on the planet to search for prophylactics for her ex-boyfriend, but she was actually kind of happy for him to be moving on. And Brooke seemed nice from the limited interactions Caitlin had with her.
Reaching to the bottom of the bag, she pulled out the selection of rattles and toys they’d found appropriate for toddlers and weaved through the tables.
“Max,” she called, waving them at him. “I hope these do the trick, otherwise we’re going to have to go all the way to Utah to find toys she likes.”
Bouncing his daughter Matilda on his knee, Max sighed in relief at the sight of a soft yellow ducky.
“She loves ducks,” he said, taking it from Caitlin. “Thank you. Maybe now we’ll finally get some peace.”
Returning to the table with two plates, David smiled, leaning over to give a side hug to Caitlin before setting the food down.
“You have no idea how much this means to us,” David said, gratitude welling in his greenish brown eyes.
“Just remind her
