gun around to point down at her. He fired into her forehead. The bullet thudded into the split he'd made. She jerked as dark goo sprayed onto the snow behind her.
He panted, wiping dark gore from his face and chest. "Well, that was fun." He knelt to retrieve his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "Too bad there was no one around to watch."
He straightened, slipping his rifle back over his other shoulder. He heard something in the trees behind him and spun, looking.
Nothing.
He was sure he’d heard something. He stared, waiting. The dead weren't known for subtlety or sneaking up. If he'd heard a corpse, one would stumble into view.
He waited a few more seconds. Nothing. He decided he'd imagined it.
Or it wasn't a corpse nearby.
He shrugged to himself and kept walking.
* * *
Angie shut the tailgate of a battered old pickup. She nodded to Walsh sitting in the truck's bed. He was a guard and would serve as lookout for the journey to Old West's house. He held his rifle in front of him.
She turned to face Maylee. Behind Maylee, the makeshift gate to World Memorial stood open. They were outside the city walls. The road nearby was packed with snow. Angie listened for corpses but heard none nearby. She suspected she listened for corpses in her sleep.
Maylee sighed. "I really think I should come with you."
"We discussed this, Maylee," said Angie. "I need someone to watch over things. Especially if that little boy's right and those kids are in danger. If Dalton's in danger."
" You could be in danger," said Maylee, crossing her arms. The bat strapped to her back bobbed as she moved. "This snow's too bad to be travelling."
"We need supplies, Maylee. And information. Old West knows a lot about the area. He might know something about these 'bad people.'" Angie walked to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door. Dunwoody sat at the wheel. "And while this whole role-reversal thing you're doing is cute, I think I'll be fine. I'm not the one running around outside chasing corpses all the time."
"They elected me, Mom."
"They didn't elect you to join in the first place, Maylee," said Angie. "But we aren't talking about that or about how I wish you would behave more safely. We're talking about me going on a supply run to Old West's. And whether or not I'll be fine."
Maylee smirked. "And what did we decide?"
"We decided I'll be fine." She climbed into the truck and shut the door. The engine sputtered to life.
Angie turned to look at Maylee. She and the town looked small and defenseless. She thought about what the boy, Zach, had said. Bad people after the children. After Dalton.
She told herself Zach was just shaken by the cold. She willed herself to believe it.
"Let's go," she said, nodding to Dunwoody in the driver’s seat. He pulled the shifter down and started for the road.
* * *
Park rounded a frozen tree and exited the forest. He was on the side of a snow-packed road. A few shallow ruts showed occasional traffic but they were mostly filled with new snow. Park looked up and down the road, not really expecting any cars. He did it mostly out of habit.
He looked to his left, down the road until it wound around a corner and disappeared among trees. He knew the road would eventually get him where he needed to be. Where he was pretty sure he needed to be. He was putting a lot of trust in strange dreams. He considered the very real possibility he was going crazy. Or already there. Then he disregarded the thought and focused back on the task at hand.
Years of hunting in the area had taught him that if he kept cutting across the woods, he'd get there faster. He looked across the road and frowned. Something jutted up just past the other side. He knew there was a steep, long drop on that side. It had been a bad stretch of road for accidents back when people cared about traffic accidents. And something was on the far side, sticking up just past the edge.
He took a step out onto the street, his
He panted, wiping dark gore from his face and chest. "Well, that was fun." He knelt to retrieve his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "Too bad there was no one around to watch."
He straightened, slipping his rifle back over his other shoulder. He heard something in the trees behind him and spun, looking.
Nothing.
He was sure he’d heard something. He stared, waiting. The dead weren't known for subtlety or sneaking up. If he'd heard a corpse, one would stumble into view.
He waited a few more seconds. Nothing. He decided he'd imagined it.
Or it wasn't a corpse nearby.
He shrugged to himself and kept walking.
* * *
Angie shut the tailgate of a battered old pickup. She nodded to Walsh sitting in the truck's bed. He was a guard and would serve as lookout for the journey to Old West's house. He held his rifle in front of him.
She turned to face Maylee. Behind Maylee, the makeshift gate to World Memorial stood open. They were outside the city walls. The road nearby was packed with snow. Angie listened for corpses but heard none nearby. She suspected she listened for corpses in her sleep.
Maylee sighed. "I really think I should come with you."
"We discussed this, Maylee," said Angie. "I need someone to watch over things. Especially if that little boy's right and those kids are in danger. If Dalton's in danger."
" You could be in danger," said Maylee, crossing her arms. The bat strapped to her back bobbed as she moved. "This snow's too bad to be travelling."
"We need supplies, Maylee. And information. Old West knows a lot about the area. He might know something about these 'bad people.'" Angie walked to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door. Dunwoody sat at the wheel. "And while this whole role-reversal thing you're doing is cute, I think I'll be fine. I'm not the one running around outside chasing corpses all the time."
"They elected me, Mom."
"They didn't elect you to join in the first place, Maylee," said Angie. "But we aren't talking about that or about how I wish you would behave more safely. We're talking about me going on a supply run to Old West's. And whether or not I'll be fine."
Maylee smirked. "And what did we decide?"
"We decided I'll be fine." She climbed into the truck and shut the door. The engine sputtered to life.
Angie turned to look at Maylee. She and the town looked small and defenseless. She thought about what the boy, Zach, had said. Bad people after the children. After Dalton.
She told herself Zach was just shaken by the cold. She willed herself to believe it.
"Let's go," she said, nodding to Dunwoody in the driver’s seat. He pulled the shifter down and started for the road.
* * *
Park rounded a frozen tree and exited the forest. He was on the side of a snow-packed road. A few shallow ruts showed occasional traffic but they were mostly filled with new snow. Park looked up and down the road, not really expecting any cars. He did it mostly out of habit.
He looked to his left, down the road until it wound around a corner and disappeared among trees. He knew the road would eventually get him where he needed to be. Where he was pretty sure he needed to be. He was putting a lot of trust in strange dreams. He considered the very real possibility he was going crazy. Or already there. Then he disregarded the thought and focused back on the task at hand.
Years of hunting in the area had taught him that if he kept cutting across the woods, he'd get there faster. He looked across the road and frowned. Something jutted up just past the other side. He knew there was a steep, long drop on that side. It had been a bad stretch of road for accidents back when people cared about traffic accidents. And something was on the far side, sticking up just past the edge.
He took a step out onto the street, his
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