had gone to shit. I slid Excalibur into the sheath and grabbed the flare then rushed after her.
“So now that we’re hidden underground are you going to tell me about Bubba’s cousins?” I asked trying to keep my mind off the walls that were getting way too close.
“Bubba?” she asked before chuckling. “I guess that’s as good a name for him as any.”
“So the cousins?” I asked once again as I tried to regulate my breathing so she couldn’t hear the panic in my voice.
“The Cousins is the name given to them by the locals,” she continued. “And they run this town, or at least most of it. They are the like the royalty and “Bubba” as you referred to him, was their enforcer; like the Sheriff of Nottingham.”
“Does that make you Robin Hood?”
“Well I damn sure ain't no Maid Marian,” she replied.
“Aw, come on. I bet you’d look great in one of those fancy ballroom dresses.”
I should have seen the fourth slap coming, but it was dark.
“You want me to leave your ass here?” she griped, but I know I heard a little smile in her voice.
She continued directing us left, right, anyway but out. At times it seemed we were going around in circles, but she kept us moving until I could finally see a hint of light ahead.
“So why are you doing this?” She asked.
“Following you? I like the view from back here.”
That time she didn’t slap me so I wasn’t sure if she was serious or just tired of hurting her hand.
“No this whole thing with the kid,” she continued.
“I really can’t say,” I replied, taking a moment to decide how much to share. “After I got bit I knew what my fate was and I showed up at that cabin at peace, ready to just get drunk and end it all. I was almost looking forward to it. But then I saw him. I don’t know why, but I just decided he needed my help more than I needed that drink. Maybe I just wanted to feel I’d done one thing right before I leave or maybe I just wussed out on ending it. Either way, here I am. I’ve made it this far so now I’ve got to see it through.”
“Unfortunately that’s not going to happen,” she said as she turned and once again pointed the revolver at my face. By my count she’d already used up three of the six bullets but if I tried anything I highly doubted she would need more than one of the remaining.
Chapter 9
“Really? You’re doing this now?” I asked, trying to think of some way out. “What about the kid?”
“Don’t worry about the kid; I’ll make sure he gets to the hospital. You just won’t be the one taking him,” she replied as she took a couple steps back.
“You could have killed me back there with the rest of them,” I said. “Why wait until now.”
“I hadn’t really made up my mind until now.”
“So my story about helping the kid made the decision easier? What kind of psychopath decides they want to kill someone only after a story like that?”
The decision wasn’t about whether or not I want to kill you, it was about whether or not you were worth the bullet.”
I had to admit, I kind of agreed with her.
“You know you’re not going to make it to the hospital in time. This way you’ll get a quick painless death and I won’t have to spend the rest of the trip worrying about you turning on me halfway there.”
“Yeah. It sure sounds like a win-win for both of us.”
“Hey, I could hold you here until your heart explodes and the infection takes over. Your body’s in good shape; I could probably harvest a lot of fresh organs and make a killing, no pun intended.”
“If it’s money you’re after,” I said. “I’ve got a MK1 Ferret you can have. You’ll get plenty for it as long as you don’t try to sell it to Big Mike.”
“You stole one of Big Mike’s cars?” she asked with a laugh.
“Yeah,” I said, setting the flare down slowly and pulling out the keys. “It was just too bad I didn’t get to see his face when he found out.”
“Toss them
“So now that we’re hidden underground are you going to tell me about Bubba’s cousins?” I asked trying to keep my mind off the walls that were getting way too close.
“Bubba?” she asked before chuckling. “I guess that’s as good a name for him as any.”
“So the cousins?” I asked once again as I tried to regulate my breathing so she couldn’t hear the panic in my voice.
“The Cousins is the name given to them by the locals,” she continued. “And they run this town, or at least most of it. They are the like the royalty and “Bubba” as you referred to him, was their enforcer; like the Sheriff of Nottingham.”
“Does that make you Robin Hood?”
“Well I damn sure ain't no Maid Marian,” she replied.
“Aw, come on. I bet you’d look great in one of those fancy ballroom dresses.”
I should have seen the fourth slap coming, but it was dark.
“You want me to leave your ass here?” she griped, but I know I heard a little smile in her voice.
She continued directing us left, right, anyway but out. At times it seemed we were going around in circles, but she kept us moving until I could finally see a hint of light ahead.
“So why are you doing this?” She asked.
“Following you? I like the view from back here.”
That time she didn’t slap me so I wasn’t sure if she was serious or just tired of hurting her hand.
“No this whole thing with the kid,” she continued.
“I really can’t say,” I replied, taking a moment to decide how much to share. “After I got bit I knew what my fate was and I showed up at that cabin at peace, ready to just get drunk and end it all. I was almost looking forward to it. But then I saw him. I don’t know why, but I just decided he needed my help more than I needed that drink. Maybe I just wanted to feel I’d done one thing right before I leave or maybe I just wussed out on ending it. Either way, here I am. I’ve made it this far so now I’ve got to see it through.”
“Unfortunately that’s not going to happen,” she said as she turned and once again pointed the revolver at my face. By my count she’d already used up three of the six bullets but if I tried anything I highly doubted she would need more than one of the remaining.
Chapter 9
“Really? You’re doing this now?” I asked, trying to think of some way out. “What about the kid?”
“Don’t worry about the kid; I’ll make sure he gets to the hospital. You just won’t be the one taking him,” she replied as she took a couple steps back.
“You could have killed me back there with the rest of them,” I said. “Why wait until now.”
“I hadn’t really made up my mind until now.”
“So my story about helping the kid made the decision easier? What kind of psychopath decides they want to kill someone only after a story like that?”
The decision wasn’t about whether or not I want to kill you, it was about whether or not you were worth the bullet.”
I had to admit, I kind of agreed with her.
“You know you’re not going to make it to the hospital in time. This way you’ll get a quick painless death and I won’t have to spend the rest of the trip worrying about you turning on me halfway there.”
“Yeah. It sure sounds like a win-win for both of us.”
“Hey, I could hold you here until your heart explodes and the infection takes over. Your body’s in good shape; I could probably harvest a lot of fresh organs and make a killing, no pun intended.”
“If it’s money you’re after,” I said. “I’ve got a MK1 Ferret you can have. You’ll get plenty for it as long as you don’t try to sell it to Big Mike.”
“You stole one of Big Mike’s cars?” she asked with a laugh.
“Yeah,” I said, setting the flare down slowly and pulling out the keys. “It was just too bad I didn’t get to see his face when he found out.”
“Toss them
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