could see him doing quick calculations in his head. “Scratch that, eighteen, oh where’d that one come from, nineteen. Does a crawler count, because that would make it twenty,” “I get it, there’s a bunch,”
“Yeah, ‘bunch’ will work,” Gary said, staring out the window intently.
“Couple of speeders, mostly deaders though,” Justin clarified.
“Thank God for small favors,” I said resignedly.
“Hi pretty lady. Can I get back in your arms?” Angel asked Tracy .
Tracy reached down and plucked the small child up. “Mike, I am not going to entrust these kids to a kid whose driving experience involves backing up in a driveway.” “Umm, it’s a very long driveway,” Ryan said, trying to help his friend recover some of his lost ego.
“Okay, so his main experience is driving down a very long driveway and into a mailbox,” “That hurts, lady,” Dizz said.
“Twenty-five yards, Dad,” Travis said as he took position next to his brother and uncle.
“We need to take them, Mike,” Tracy told me.
That was the most sound idea, it really was. But I felt like Big Ben was ticking in my head, that elusive concept called time was slipping through my fingers. I, we, could not afford to lose the two days it would take to get them back and then us back on track. ‘ Crap ,’ I thought angrily. Leaving these kids here was a death sentence plain and simple. Bringing them forward was a painful death sentence. Bringing them to Ron’s was their only chance.
I loved Tracy for a myriad of reasons. She knew the math I was going through in my head, so she solved the problem for me. “I’ll take them back.” I was elated, I was depressed. The kids would be safe, my beloved would be safe, we would never see each other again. I hugged her just as our defensive gunfire erupted. Twenty zombies, three skilled marksmen, they should be able to make short work of it.
“Alright you guys,” I said, turning to the kids. “Grab all the crap you want to bring with you. We’re getting out of here.” Angel jumped down from Tracy ’s arms and into her brother’s arms. “We’re going home Eyean!” she said excitedly.
CHAPTER EIGHT – BT and Meredith (Plus One)
BT and Meredith had not been on the road more than a couple of hours when Meredith looked over towards BT for the fifth time, each time rolling her window down an inch or two more.
BT on as many occasions stole a sideways glance towards Meredith. He grimly did his best to cover his nose discreetly during the more noxious outbursts.
By the sixth time he could not take it. “What did your aunt make you eat? Damn it girl!” “Excuse me?!” she answered indignantly.
“Smells like pickled weasel in here. What the hell did you eat?”
“Me?? I thought that seat belt was so tight it was cutting your large intestine in half and it was leaking.” “So it isn’t you?” BT asked.
“God no! I thought you must be dying!”
“Pull over, I know of only one thing on this planet that could do that. ” Meredith pulled over, a look of confusion on her face. BT ripped the belt buckle from its harness, guaranteeing that it would never work again. He opened the door and took heavy intakes of untainted air before opening the back door to look for their stowaway.
“Well son of a bitch. Hi Henry!” BT uttered genially.
Meredith was peering over the seat. “How the hell did he get in there? Should we take him back?” “Naw,” BT said, affectionately rubbing the dog’s proffered belly. “I’ve got a hunch he’s supposed to be here.”
CHAPTER NINE – Talbot Journal Entry 6
Gary, Travis and Justin came in a few minutes later.
“All set?” I asked as I finished packing up the radio.
“Yeah,” Travis said, a little flushed.
Gary responded by turning his head and vomiting into a convenient trash receptacle, and Justin resumed his vigil at the front window.
“Won’t be too long Dad before we get some more company,” Justin said.
“Yup,
“Yeah, ‘bunch’ will work,” Gary said, staring out the window intently.
“Couple of speeders, mostly deaders though,” Justin clarified.
“Thank God for small favors,” I said resignedly.
“Hi pretty lady. Can I get back in your arms?” Angel asked Tracy .
Tracy reached down and plucked the small child up. “Mike, I am not going to entrust these kids to a kid whose driving experience involves backing up in a driveway.” “Umm, it’s a very long driveway,” Ryan said, trying to help his friend recover some of his lost ego.
“Okay, so his main experience is driving down a very long driveway and into a mailbox,” “That hurts, lady,” Dizz said.
“Twenty-five yards, Dad,” Travis said as he took position next to his brother and uncle.
“We need to take them, Mike,” Tracy told me.
That was the most sound idea, it really was. But I felt like Big Ben was ticking in my head, that elusive concept called time was slipping through my fingers. I, we, could not afford to lose the two days it would take to get them back and then us back on track. ‘ Crap ,’ I thought angrily. Leaving these kids here was a death sentence plain and simple. Bringing them forward was a painful death sentence. Bringing them to Ron’s was their only chance.
I loved Tracy for a myriad of reasons. She knew the math I was going through in my head, so she solved the problem for me. “I’ll take them back.” I was elated, I was depressed. The kids would be safe, my beloved would be safe, we would never see each other again. I hugged her just as our defensive gunfire erupted. Twenty zombies, three skilled marksmen, they should be able to make short work of it.
“Alright you guys,” I said, turning to the kids. “Grab all the crap you want to bring with you. We’re getting out of here.” Angel jumped down from Tracy ’s arms and into her brother’s arms. “We’re going home Eyean!” she said excitedly.
CHAPTER EIGHT – BT and Meredith (Plus One)
BT and Meredith had not been on the road more than a couple of hours when Meredith looked over towards BT for the fifth time, each time rolling her window down an inch or two more.
BT on as many occasions stole a sideways glance towards Meredith. He grimly did his best to cover his nose discreetly during the more noxious outbursts.
By the sixth time he could not take it. “What did your aunt make you eat? Damn it girl!” “Excuse me?!” she answered indignantly.
“Smells like pickled weasel in here. What the hell did you eat?”
“Me?? I thought that seat belt was so tight it was cutting your large intestine in half and it was leaking.” “So it isn’t you?” BT asked.
“God no! I thought you must be dying!”
“Pull over, I know of only one thing on this planet that could do that. ” Meredith pulled over, a look of confusion on her face. BT ripped the belt buckle from its harness, guaranteeing that it would never work again. He opened the door and took heavy intakes of untainted air before opening the back door to look for their stowaway.
“Well son of a bitch. Hi Henry!” BT uttered genially.
Meredith was peering over the seat. “How the hell did he get in there? Should we take him back?” “Naw,” BT said, affectionately rubbing the dog’s proffered belly. “I’ve got a hunch he’s supposed to be here.”
CHAPTER NINE – Talbot Journal Entry 6
Gary, Travis and Justin came in a few minutes later.
“All set?” I asked as I finished packing up the radio.
“Yeah,” Travis said, a little flushed.
Gary responded by turning his head and vomiting into a convenient trash receptacle, and Justin resumed his vigil at the front window.
“Won’t be too long Dad before we get some more company,” Justin said.
“Yup,
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