'Would that work?'
'I don't know. It worked for Ella, but she wasn't even dead.'
'If I help you, and it works. What are you going to do?'
'I haven't thought that far ahead. Maybe I will find some people and protect them, get society going again.'
'Really?' Max asked, 'I don't want to be skeptical, but you could have stayed in Chicago and called off the attacks in that area.'
'No, I couldn't. If Sentry thought I was dead I couldn't interfere. He already had others take over the hordes in that area and I could only stay free so long as I kept a low profile.'
'But Jimbo taught you to…'
'Sentry would know Max. If the zombies stopped attacking, Sentry would know something was up, probably within hours. The best way to solve this problem is to get new leaders, who aren't so interested in complete racial genocide.'
'The king is dead! Long live the King?'
'You're showing your education there, be careful. I envision more of an environment of multiple kingdoms. Some of them human, I hope. I will tell you this. If I survive, I will do everything in my power to help save you, your family, your friends and every human left in and around Iowa. How does that deal strike you?'
'I didn't know I had any leverage to bargain with. Maybe I should ask for more?' Max said tentatively.
'I'm offering that up as goodwill. Afterward, we'll use the trust I gain by helping you as a foundation for our new existence.'
Max held out his hand and Aubrey took it. Her hand was soft and cool to the touch. They shook and nodded to each other. A few minutes later Nathan told them they were approaching the intersection.
The Humvee stopped well shy of the intersection and Aubrey asked Max if he could sense his friends yet.
'No.' he admitted, 'No yet.' He started to say something else and stopped himself.
'What?'
'It's just…well a lot has happened this morning and my mind is catching up to where I am right now. So…' His voice trailed off.
'Spit it out, what's the worst I can do?'
'Okay, I'm trying to work things out here on my own first. Can I do that?'
'Sure, don't take too long, your friends will be here soon.'
'That's part of it. How do you know that? You didn't know they left before.'
Aubrey shook her head, 'No, I was preoccupied with you. It is easy to find people now. I can take a hold on zombies and sort of see through their eyes. It's not as good as your radar, but it is better in other ways.'
'That's what has me confused. You found me pretty easily and I was trying to figure out how.' Max said.
Aubrey shrugged her thin shoulders, 'I wasn't looking for you. Not necessarily. I was looking for someone and when the helicopters took off I knew I had better track them and get moving.'
'So you followed us from there, by tapping into zombies along the helicopter flight path?'
'Yeah, I couldn't possibly know you were on board, I didn't figure that out until you landed and split up from the other soldiers. Actually I recognized the old guy first. He made an impression on me. He is smart, maybe too smart. Sometimes smart beats youth, speed and strength. He certainly did a number on Ella. But I recognized the woman and you too.'
'Why did you contact us, and not the other team?'
Aubrey smiled faintly, 'Who says I didn't contact the other teams? Your friends are almost here. Get moving. We're going to get out of sight before they arrive.'
'But…'
'Go Max! If everything works out I will see you after this is all over.'
Reluctantly, Max got out onto the pavement and watched as Nathan turned the Humvee around and drove back the way they had come. Stretching out with his mind he could see his friends driving towards him.
As they drove into eyesight another thought occurred to him, muttering he said, 'She said helicopters…she said other teams…There was only one helicopter, there was only one other team…'
Chapter 25 — Stewart
'Zombie on the viaduct.' Javier said, indicating the intersection ahead of them.
The highway they were on had been fairly clear, it was supposed to bypass most of Knoxville and then merge back into highway 75.
'First one we've seen since this morning.' Bill said, 'Watch the exit, let me know if you see any more of them or if we can just drive on.'
At that moment, their radio crackled to life, 'Bill? Stewart?' It was Max's voice.
Javier answered immediately, 'Max? Where are you?'
The figure on the viaduct waved as he spoke into the radio, 'Here! I can see you driving towards me.'
Bill let out a whoop of joy and honked his horn. After that exclamation he reached over and pounded Javier on the back, which almost resulted in a car accident as the vehicle hit the shoulder of the road. A moment later he had wrestled the truck back onto the road and hit the gas to merge onto the highway.
'Slow down there Bill!' Came Ruben's voice, 'Watch for an ambush.'
The truck slowed as Bill hit the brakes, it would be just the sort of thing the zombies would do too, use their friend as bait.
'Anything Javier?' Bill asked.
'Nothing, looks clear to me.'
Bill reached the highway and turned the truck around to drive back to the overpass where Max was standing.
'Damn it Bill! You should let him come to us!' Ruben said. Stewart stopped her truck in the break down lane of the highway.
Bill wasn't listening; he jumped out of his truck and threw himself towards his friend. 'Max! Are you alright? What did they want?'
'I'm fine, maybe a little bruised, but mostly that's my pride.'
'Why? Why did they take you?' Bill asked.
The radio cackled to life and Stewart's voice said, 'Bill I know you aren't up there debriefing him without us. Max you keep your cake hole shut and get in the damned truck. Let's put a few miles between here and where we stop before you tell us what happened. Unless you want to tell the story twice?'
'Shit. She's right you know.' Max said.
'Of course she is. What happened?'
'Can't we at least head towards the truck before she yells at us again?'
As if on cue, the radio burst into life again, 'So help me God if you don't get moving now I am driving up to get you!'
Max and Bill quickly jogged back to the truck and hopped in. Bill backed the truck around until he was once again going the way they intended and drove off down the highway. Once he was in the lead they travelled for less than a mile before he pulled over on a clear stretch of the highway.
Stewart popped out of the cab and ran to the back of Bill's truck to gather Max into a fierce hug as he came out. She then held him back from her at arm's length and looked him over. 'Did they infect you?'
'No. Like I told Bill, they only really bruised my ego.'
Stewart gave him a reproachful look, 'I told you not to start until we were all together. What did they want?'
