The End Has Come and Gone

“If Durgan kills you,” she continued disdainfully, “those that you are with give themselves up willingly.” Murmurs of protests arose from the group. I couldn’t blame them.

“I can’t speak for the people around me,” I told her.

“You will allow my zombies onto the roof with you during the fight so that I can be sure YOU hold up your end of the agreement.” “What if I say no?” I asked her.

“I will burn this building and everybody in it, or on it, to the ground.”

“And when I win?” I said running my hand through my now sweating hair.

Durgan snorted in derision.

“If you should somehow best my champion,” Eliza said mockingly, “I will allow everyone you are with to walk away from this site unharmed.”

“I wouldn’t trust her,” Meredith whispered next to me.

“Will you allow them to live out their lives without your interference?” I asked.

“No,” she answered.

“Most likely the first honest thing she’s said,” Alex said.

“I understand that you humans like to confer on matters of importance. I will give you one hour and then you will give me your decision,” Eliza said. I could hear her entourage heading back down the stairs, her zombies following suit.

“Clearly the answer is no,” Mrs. Deneaux was the first to pipe up.

“I’d really like to thank you, but I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with my personal safety,” I told her.

Mrs. Deneaux smirked at me.

“Should we take a vote?” I asked the group.

Deneaux shrugged.

“No,” Tracy said.

“No,” Justin echoed his mother. I looked at him sternly but the vote was already cast.

“Yes,” Travis said. Tracy looked at him with a smoldering gaze that said that she was going to ground him for damn near forever.

“I don’t see what choice we have. I say yes,” Brian said. I nodded to him and received the same back.

“If Brian thinks it’s a good idea than so do I,” Cindy said firmly.

Perla was not dealing well with the whole proposal. Cindy went over to her and attempted to calm her down. “NO!” Perla shouted. “I am sick of seeing people die!”

I turned to Deneaux who had walked away to light another cigarette. “You already got my answer,” she said, never turning back lest the oncoming breeze put out her lighter’s flame.

“I will not place the fate of my children in the hands of him,” Marta spat.

“Does that count as three votes?” Meredith asked the group.

I shook my head no.

Gary walked up and looked me in the eyes for a lot longer than I felt comfortable with. “I think he can do it. I vote yes.”

“That was strange, but thanks for the vote of confidence… I think,” I told him.

“Oh, I didn’t see anything,” Gary said. “I was just trying to instill some confidence in you.”

“Again thanks, and don’t tell me any more.”

“Mike, I’ll vote however you want me to,” Paul said, coming up to me.

“I can’t tell you how to vote. It’s your lives on the line,” I told him.

“I trust you like no other,” Paul told me. “I vote yes.”

Erin placed her arm around Paul’s waist. “As do I,” she said.

“Do you people not understand what you’re doing?” Tracy screamed, “You are sentencing him to a certain death. Whether by Durgan or Eliza, Mike will not survive this!”

She was pissed. I briefly thought about going over to calm her down, but she’d just as likely pitch me over the side.

“We should all be fighting as one,” she continued adamantly.

“Tracy, there won’t be a fight,” Alex said to her pacifying her a bit. “Eliza will merely burn this place down. I would think that Mike would be honored that some of us survive rather than all of us perish. I vote yes.”

“You’ve all lost your minds,” Tracy said bitterly before storming off.

“I agree with her Mike,” BT said. “I say no.”

April, who looked like a jackrabbit getting ready to bolt, slid a few inches behind Mad Jack. “No,” she said meekly.

“Do I get a vote?” Eddy asked Joann.

She was about to say no. I stopped her. “It’s his life too, he should have a say.”

“Yes,” Eddy said beaming. “The crazy man can beat anyone.”

“Then I say no,” Joann said, not looking as Eddy scowled at her.

I looked to a staunch ally, Meredith. She shook her head and ran to catch up to her aunt.

“Interesting,” Mad Jack said. “I either decide the vote or tie it up.”

“Really?” I asked. “I didn’t think it was that close.”

“Nine ‘no’s’ and eight ‘yes’s’”.

“Damn, I had no clue,” I told him truthfully.

“Then how do you vote?” BT asked, rejoining the group.

“There is only one choice,” Mad Jack said. “Logically speaking, Mike’s willingness to fight Durgan is our only chance of escape. Albeit it sounds like it might be a slim one, it is a chance none the less.”

“Don’t shower all the confidence on me at one time,” I told him. Mad Jack looked at me with a blank stare, he didn’t get it.

“I vote yes,” Mad Jack said.

“You’re kidding me? So it’s a tie?” I asked.

Mad Jack nodded in the affirmative.

“It looks like the decision is yours, Talbot. What will you do?” Tracy asked with a sheen of tears in her eyes. She already knew my answer.

“I will fight, because that is what I do,” I told the group.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE - Tracy’s Journal Entry 1

I cannot believe the pig-headed stubborn man that I married. My mother was right when she told me not to marry a Marine. ‘Marry a Navy man,’ she told me, ‘they’re much more pliable.’ He’s been huddled up with BT going over strategy on how to fight that steroid induced crazy bastard Durgan. He’s barely even looked over at me. Good, I hope he knows I’m mad at him for what he’s doing. I have absolutely no doubt that my husband will kill Durgan, but what good does that do his family, I ask you. Either way he dies. I’d rather burn with him, but not my babies, no, not that.

Eliza’s coming!

CHAPTER THIRTY – Talbot Journal Entry 15

“What have you decided, Michael?” came Eliza’s question. Her tone betrayed nothing of which way she wanted me to answer.

“My only condition as it has always been Eliza, is that if I agree to fight, when I win you honor your end,” I told her.

“Will you believe what I have to say?” Eliza asked. That she had a small measure of mischief in her words was not in doubt.

“There is the locket,” Tomas said.