“Listen, if we go another way, it’ll be dark before we can find a place to sleep. I really don’t want to be on the road at night with my family. Please. We’re not sick, we’re not infected and we’ve spent the day fighting our way through those things. We’ve killed our fair share of them. Please. Just let us go through. We’ll not bother you,” Xander said in a calm and reasonable voice.
“Mister, I’m sorry. I’m just tryin’ to look out for what family I’ve got left.” The man’s mouth was now a determined straight line.
“Did you know that there are worse things out there than those mindless zombies?” he asked in a conversational voice and looked over his shoulder at Zahara. She had rolled down her window and looked as though she were relaxing. He knew her weapon was ready.
“What? What else is out there?” The man looked around him nervously.
“The woman in that truck is a trained CIA operative, as am I. I’ll show you my credentials,” he said, holding his hands out and reaching slowly for his wallet. The man’s eyes grew large and he looked past Xander and then back at him. Xander opened his wallet and showed his government ID.
“We’re not thieves, we don’t want anything except to drive through. Please, let us pass.”
“I don’t know mister. I’d like to, but I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Alright. Then listen to what I’m about to say. In less time that it takes for you to try and stop me and kill me, she can shoot you and your friends over there. Now, while you’re thinking about that, think about this. I’m only three feet away from you. I don’t have a gun, but I don’t need one. I’m not a zombie, but I am more dangerous.” Xander let his eyes change into glowing gold and the man stepped back, the color draining from his face.
“What…what are you?” he stammered.
“I’m just a man who wants to get his family safely home. It’s getting late and I don’t have the gas or the will to go around. I’m going to ask you one more time. Let me and my family through or you will not like what happens next,” Xander said in a low deadly voice, his eyes burning brighter. The man swallowed. Then he nodded shakily. He fumbled in his pocket and drew out the keys.
“I’m lettin’ ‘em through. Hold off and stand down.” The man got into the truck and started it up. He leaned out the window.
“If you head straight, you’ll come to the end of the town about four miles down. There’s another roadblock. Tell ‘em Willy said ta let you through,” Willy said. Xander walked to the window and the man shrank back. He held out his hand and the man looked at it and then back at Xander. He cautiously stuck out his hand and Xander shook the man’s hand.
“Thank you, Willy. For my family’s sake, thank you.”
Xander turned back and walked toward the truck, a soft smile on his face. They had driven through the small farming town with no other problems. Xander didn’t have to relate his conversation to Willy, with her hearing, she’d heard it all and she’d sighed happily. He’d not had to kill or turn.
Zahara watched as Shay picked wildflowers around the rest stop. The day was quiet and there were no other sounds of vehicles on the road. Her ass felt numb from sitting all day in the truck. She had stretched and walked around the area with Shay, making sure there were no zombies about. She looked over at Xander. He looked tired and she smiled. She personally hated driving and knew watching out for wandering zombies was taking its toll.
“Hey, instead of looking for a hotel, why don’t we just look for a house with zombies? We go and kill the zombies, see if anyone is home and maybe just spend the night in the house. Either as guests of the grateful homeowners or as guests of the zombie homeowners who we killed?” Zahara suggested.
“That’s actually not a bad idea. Let’s get loaded up and head out. When we find a nice-looking place that have zombies, we’ll swing in,” Xander said and laughed getting up.
“Let’s go Shay, we’re gonna find a place to spend the night.”
“Okay Zaza,” she said and skipped toward them.
“She seems to be adjusting better,” Xander said as they walked toward the truck. Zahara nodded and squeezed his hand and held out the other hand for Shay.
Two hours later they found a large farmhouse, there was an inviting porch swing that moved in the early evening breeze. In the yard were three zombies that were well on their way to rancid. Zahara waited for Xander to get out of the truck. He waved his arms and got the zombie’s attention and drew them away from the house. They stumbled and lurched and when he got them far enough away from the structure, he shot them.
“Stay in the truck, honey,” she told Shay. She had picked up Rose’s lovey-dovey names for the children. Sugar, sweety, lovey, honey, and baby girl. She still felt odd saying them, but it was getting easier. She guessed it was a southern thing. She’d even heard Reggie addressing the children as such. She liked it and she had a vague memory of her mother saying such words.
Xander reached her and they walked around the area, looking in the barn. It was empty and there were no animals. Behind the barn was a large pasture and there were two cows and a horse. They moved around nervously and she and Xander walked toward them.
