Read Online The Undead World (Book 5): The Apocalypse Renegades by Peter Meredith - Free Book Online
Authors: Peter Meredith
Tags: Zombie Apocalypse
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think, a RESCUE IS CRAZY! And trying to cross the river is just as crazy. We should stay put.
“I don’t think so. We need to get close to Cape Girardeau, just in case we get an opportunity to try for a rescue.” Jillybean stood up and took her eyes from the zombies below. She faced west and zeroed in on the road, hoping once again to see Neil and Deanna coming back. She didn’t like it when they were gone because everyone looked to her for answers, especially Michael Gates whose confidence in his own abilities as a leader had disappeared altogether. He ran every idea through her before voicing it aloud. It was why she had slipped away to hide on the roof again.
But she knew she couldn’t hide there forever.
“Come on,” she said, grabbing Ipes by one soft hoof and swinging him along.
She called a meeting of the entire group that morning. She went to each door, knocked politely and said to whoever answered, “There’s a meeting at 9 AM in the cafeteria, thanks.” No one questioned her at all. If she said there was a meeting then they believed it.
At nine she stood next to Michael as the room filled with the renegades. He was frowning, causing a dozen lines to crease his expansive forehead. “They’ve probably been captured by the River King, haven’t they?” Michael asked quietly.
He meant Neil, Deanna, and Big Bill. “Yep,” Jillybean said, simply.
“Do you have a plan yet? You know, to save them?” Michael asked, hopefully.
“Well…not yet,” she admitted. “But that’s because we’re so far away. I need to get closer to the base.”
Fred Trigg, just on the other side of Michael, leaned forward to ask, “What for? You know the layout of the base. You know where the prisoners are kept. What else do you need?” As always Fred was loud and the room was quiet and still as everyone listened in on their conversation.
“I guess I need to be close, you know, just in case of stenuating circumstances. Like something might come up.”
“Something?” Fred asked, dubiously. He stepped forward to the center of the cafeteria where everyone could see him. Raising his voice, he said, “I guess we are having this meeting to figure out our next step. By now it’s pretty clear that Neil and the others were captured. Just like I warned.”
“You didn’t warn about that,” Jillybean said, quickly as Fred paused to take a breath. “Really, what you said was…”
Fred snapped his fingers at her, saying, “I have the floor young lady. Be respectful of your elders for once and wait your turn.”
Jillybean melted in close to Michael, her thin cheeks turning pink. “Sorry,” she said in a whisper.
Satisfied, Fred turned back to the band of renegades. “Neil’s capture sends a clear warning for us not to make a crossing of the Mississippi en masse , which leaves only the options of staying put or making some sort of suicidal attempt to free Neil and the others from the River King. A rescue is precisely what Jillybean is proposing we do. But there are two problems: first she freely admits she doesn’t have a plan and second we don’t even know if they’re still alive.”
“They’re alive,” Jillybean said, obstinately.
“What proof do you have?” Fred asked. “None. And, without proof, a rescue should be out of the question. To me it seems like a waste of time unless we have a foolproof plan in place.”
“But I might could think of one if we got close,” Jillybean said, meekly.
“Might could?” Fred asked, dubiously. He then smiled benignly at the little girl before turning to the larger group with raised eyebrows. “I don’t know if we should place our trust in a might could .” He laughed and a few of the people laughed along but, as usual for the group most sat looking slightly confused. Fred, the constant politician, saw it just as Jillybean did. “A ‘might could’ plan will only get us captured or killed. What we need to do right now is stay put. We need to stay in
“I don’t think so. We need to get close to Cape Girardeau, just in case we get an opportunity to try for a rescue.” Jillybean stood up and took her eyes from the zombies below. She faced west and zeroed in on the road, hoping once again to see Neil and Deanna coming back. She didn’t like it when they were gone because everyone looked to her for answers, especially Michael Gates whose confidence in his own abilities as a leader had disappeared altogether. He ran every idea through her before voicing it aloud. It was why she had slipped away to hide on the roof again.
But she knew she couldn’t hide there forever.
“Come on,” she said, grabbing Ipes by one soft hoof and swinging him along.
She called a meeting of the entire group that morning. She went to each door, knocked politely and said to whoever answered, “There’s a meeting at 9 AM in the cafeteria, thanks.” No one questioned her at all. If she said there was a meeting then they believed it.
At nine she stood next to Michael as the room filled with the renegades. He was frowning, causing a dozen lines to crease his expansive forehead. “They’ve probably been captured by the River King, haven’t they?” Michael asked quietly.
He meant Neil, Deanna, and Big Bill. “Yep,” Jillybean said, simply.
“Do you have a plan yet? You know, to save them?” Michael asked, hopefully.
“Well…not yet,” she admitted. “But that’s because we’re so far away. I need to get closer to the base.”
Fred Trigg, just on the other side of Michael, leaned forward to ask, “What for? You know the layout of the base. You know where the prisoners are kept. What else do you need?” As always Fred was loud and the room was quiet and still as everyone listened in on their conversation.
“I guess I need to be close, you know, just in case of stenuating circumstances. Like something might come up.”
“Something?” Fred asked, dubiously. He stepped forward to the center of the cafeteria where everyone could see him. Raising his voice, he said, “I guess we are having this meeting to figure out our next step. By now it’s pretty clear that Neil and the others were captured. Just like I warned.”
“You didn’t warn about that,” Jillybean said, quickly as Fred paused to take a breath. “Really, what you said was…”
Fred snapped his fingers at her, saying, “I have the floor young lady. Be respectful of your elders for once and wait your turn.”
Jillybean melted in close to Michael, her thin cheeks turning pink. “Sorry,” she said in a whisper.
Satisfied, Fred turned back to the band of renegades. “Neil’s capture sends a clear warning for us not to make a crossing of the Mississippi en masse , which leaves only the options of staying put or making some sort of suicidal attempt to free Neil and the others from the River King. A rescue is precisely what Jillybean is proposing we do. But there are two problems: first she freely admits she doesn’t have a plan and second we don’t even know if they’re still alive.”
“They’re alive,” Jillybean said, obstinately.
“What proof do you have?” Fred asked. “None. And, without proof, a rescue should be out of the question. To me it seems like a waste of time unless we have a foolproof plan in place.”
“But I might could think of one if we got close,” Jillybean said, meekly.
“Might could?” Fred asked, dubiously. He then smiled benignly at the little girl before turning to the larger group with raised eyebrows. “I don’t know if we should place our trust in a might could .” He laughed and a few of the people laughed along but, as usual for the group most sat looking slightly confused. Fred, the constant politician, saw it just as Jillybean did. “A ‘might could’ plan will only get us captured or killed. What we need to do right now is stay put. We need to stay in
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