Once the children were fed and put to bed, everyone went to the porch. All the lights were out and the frogs from the pond were in full chorus. There were crickets lending their voices to the noise and it felt tranquil and Xander was thankful for it. Shay and Lauren were sharing a bed, both sound asleep from fatigue and sorrow. The twins didn’t want to be separated from Reggie and so he promised he’d be back to sleep with them when it was his bedtime. Ethan had brought several chairs out and set them along the porch. There were three rocking chairs and a porch swing. Xander thought he would sit a few minutes and then head out and see what was what. He’d carry plenty of magazines in case he ran into a group of zombies. Zahara was going with him and he looked forward to just walking in the quiet night.
It had been one hell of a day with one hell of an ending. The heavy scent of coffee filled the air as each of the adults cradled a coffee cup. So far, it had been two hours and Rose was doing well. Xander was glad it was dark under the veranda; it hid the smile on his face as he watched as Ethan watched Rose. Every now and again, Ethan reached over and place the back of his hand on her forehead. She’d smiled at him and shook her head. Xander looked up as Zahara walked out of the house. She had gone to check on the children above.
“All snoring heavily. Hopefully there won’t be any nightmares, but I don’t think we’ll get that lucky,” she said as she sat down beside Xander. Gone was her mocking tone and it had been replaced with an adult’s voice. Where had the amaroidal Flea gone? She sipped her coffee and looked out into the night sky. There was a gibbon moon above and the stars were scattered across the heavens and thin clouds that ribboned out.
“When do we head out?” she asked softly so as not to disturb the conversation going on between the three at the other end of the porch. Xander had chosen the porch swing at the far end.
“We can head out now, if you’d like. I want to make a large circuit around. Maybe over to the next property, that may be where these zombies came from.”
“The gate was latched when we got here,” she said.
“They may have come over before they turned and when they turned, they could have attacked Rose’s uncle. Those walkers you shot still had normal eyes, though their pupils were blown. It was the same with the two I killed behind the barn. Same with Rose’s uncle. I think their eyes go milky after a few days. Then they start to slowly rot. The zombies you killed appeared fresh.”
“You’re probably right. Shit, this whole day has been three kinds of fucked up in a one tent shit show. Let’s go and then I want to hit the sack, after two transformations, I’m beat,” she said and stood. He grinned and took her coffee cup and set it on the porch railing.
“We’re gonna go walkabout, maybe head to the neighboring properties and see if we see any threats or zombies. If you want to lock the door, just leave the key on the top lip of the doorframe. We’ll lock up when we come in,” Xander said softly. His eyesight was perfect at night and if he let the wolf out just a bit more, he could see nearly as clear as day.
“You want me to come with?” Ethan said, starting to stand.
“Naw, stay here and keep an eye on Rose. We don’t need flashlights but you would. I’ll see you all in the morning,” he said and turned and took Zahara’s hand and both stepped off the porch. Most of their supplies were still in the truck. They would have to sort through them tomorrow and divide it up with Rose, if she lived. He thought she would since there were no bodily fluids exchanged. They headed for the back of the property; Rose had said the property was over a hundred acres, much of it forested. There were a few pastures and fields and Xander could see several acres planted in corn. Rose was going to have her hands full taking care of this place.
“You think Ethan is going to stay here?” Zahara asked, as though reading his mind and he looked down at her. She was pretty in the moonlight. Her eyes were glowing gold and he knew she was using her night vision, just as he was. It was something they would teach Shay. To use their wolf side, to bring forth its abilities and merge it with their human side.
“He might; he’s been pretty much goofy since we met Rose. I’ve never seen him like this, though honestly, I don’t know him that well. He’s a quiet man and kept to himself when we worked together. We got the job done and he got me out of Djibouti, got me to the extraction point, when shit went sideways.”
“She’ll need some help; this place is big. I heard Reggie volunteering to stay on with her, to help and the kids will stay as well. I wonder how Ethan will be with that?”
“What do you think of the ex-Klansman?” he asked her.
“I think he’s okay. When I got to the store, he was protecting Shay and she seems to trust him. Kids are pretty perceptive. I think if he were a real shitheel, I’d have picked that up and I’d have killed him. Ethan’s just gonna have to deal with it. Not my chair, not my
