that word hang in the air for a moment. “You see, word got out a few months ago that the folks at Rock Ridge were offering to supposedly test folks for immunity. They said that it was a matter of a simple injection.”
“Let me guess,” Catie came to a stop, crossing her arms across her chest, “they were injecting people with the infection. What did they use? Zombie blood?”
“That is what we reckon,” Clint agreed. “Only, I guess not everybody there was too keen on what was happening. One of the folks from Rock Ridge came down to our little town as well as well as Red Hill. They told us that there was a plan brewing at Rock Ridge to systematically wipe out all of the non-immune by infecting everybody.”
“They was gonna put zombie blood in our water!” Jess blurted.
After a nasty look and somebody giving the young man an elbow to the ribs, Clint continued. “That is basically the short of it. They was gonna infect the population of both towns and then scoop up everybody that was left. Said something about wanting to create a race of folks that could actually stand a chance of survival.”
“Master race,” Kevin muttered.
“Yeah…that’s sorta what we been sayin’ around here,” Clint said with a bitter tone.
“So then I take it somebody from either your town or over at Red Hill started that fire?” Catie asked.
“Actually…no.” Clint stopped and turned to face the pair. “The past year, the Rock Ridge folks have been upping their security. It had reached the point where we were preparing to hightail it out of this place and find a new home.”
“We’re just farmers,” one of the other men spoke up. “The folks at Rock Ridge are a damned army.”
“Or were,” Jess pointed out.
“So then what or who started the fire?” Kevin asked.
“That’s just it…we don’t know. A group of men arrived a few days ago on horseback. They asked to speak to our mayor and after they left, the mayor said that we were not leaving. When we asked why, he said that he was not at liberty to say, but then he added that nobody was allowed to leave the town until further notice.”
“And that notice came after the fire?” Kevin asked.
“Nope, but a few of us decided that something was afoot, so we made the decision to come out and take a look around after we heard the explosion.”
Kevin hadn’t heard any explosion. Obviously Catie had since she was nodding.
“So why were you down by the river?” Catie asked. “That’s south…the explosion and fire is to the north.”
Once again the men grew silent, and for the first time, Kevin realized that these men had formed a bit of a circle formation and the men were keeping their eyes open for something.
“We thought we saw—” Clint began, but the thunder of hooves cut him off.
Everybody froze. With the coming of dawn, a light mist was swirling, coupled with the smoke in the air from the fire less than two miles away, and it added a dreamlike quality to the vision as it unfolded.
Five black horses emerged through a small clearing in the dense foliage. The men were dressed in black as well and each had a gunnysack over his head with eye holes cut into them. A piece of coarse hemp rope was in place around their necks to complete the look.
“Whoa!” one of the men bellowed, raising his hand and bringing the group to a halt.
There was a single moment where it was as if everybody was frozen in place. Then, like a flock of quail flushed from the brush, everybody scattered. Kevin grabbed Catie’s hand and dove for a steep embankment that would likely spill any rider who might try to navigate it on horseback; provided that they could actually get the animal to attempt it in the first place.
Tossing his walking stick down, Kevin allowed his body to fall sideways and at a slight feet-first angle. Catie stayed on her feet, hopping like a mountain goat as large puddles of loose earth fell away under each impact as she jumped her way to the
“Let me guess,” Catie came to a stop, crossing her arms across her chest, “they were injecting people with the infection. What did they use? Zombie blood?”
“That is what we reckon,” Clint agreed. “Only, I guess not everybody there was too keen on what was happening. One of the folks from Rock Ridge came down to our little town as well as well as Red Hill. They told us that there was a plan brewing at Rock Ridge to systematically wipe out all of the non-immune by infecting everybody.”
“They was gonna put zombie blood in our water!” Jess blurted.
After a nasty look and somebody giving the young man an elbow to the ribs, Clint continued. “That is basically the short of it. They was gonna infect the population of both towns and then scoop up everybody that was left. Said something about wanting to create a race of folks that could actually stand a chance of survival.”
“Master race,” Kevin muttered.
“Yeah…that’s sorta what we been sayin’ around here,” Clint said with a bitter tone.
“So then I take it somebody from either your town or over at Red Hill started that fire?” Catie asked.
“Actually…no.” Clint stopped and turned to face the pair. “The past year, the Rock Ridge folks have been upping their security. It had reached the point where we were preparing to hightail it out of this place and find a new home.”
“We’re just farmers,” one of the other men spoke up. “The folks at Rock Ridge are a damned army.”
“Or were,” Jess pointed out.
“So then what or who started the fire?” Kevin asked.
“That’s just it…we don’t know. A group of men arrived a few days ago on horseback. They asked to speak to our mayor and after they left, the mayor said that we were not leaving. When we asked why, he said that he was not at liberty to say, but then he added that nobody was allowed to leave the town until further notice.”
“And that notice came after the fire?” Kevin asked.
“Nope, but a few of us decided that something was afoot, so we made the decision to come out and take a look around after we heard the explosion.”
Kevin hadn’t heard any explosion. Obviously Catie had since she was nodding.
“So why were you down by the river?” Catie asked. “That’s south…the explosion and fire is to the north.”
Once again the men grew silent, and for the first time, Kevin realized that these men had formed a bit of a circle formation and the men were keeping their eyes open for something.
“We thought we saw—” Clint began, but the thunder of hooves cut him off.
Everybody froze. With the coming of dawn, a light mist was swirling, coupled with the smoke in the air from the fire less than two miles away, and it added a dreamlike quality to the vision as it unfolded.
Five black horses emerged through a small clearing in the dense foliage. The men were dressed in black as well and each had a gunnysack over his head with eye holes cut into them. A piece of coarse hemp rope was in place around their necks to complete the look.
“Whoa!” one of the men bellowed, raising his hand and bringing the group to a halt.
There was a single moment where it was as if everybody was frozen in place. Then, like a flock of quail flushed from the brush, everybody scattered. Kevin grabbed Catie’s hand and dove for a steep embankment that would likely spill any rider who might try to navigate it on horseback; provided that they could actually get the animal to attempt it in the first place.
Tossing his walking stick down, Kevin allowed his body to fall sideways and at a slight feet-first angle. Catie stayed on her feet, hopping like a mountain goat as large puddles of loose earth fell away under each impact as she jumped her way to the
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