Page 23

Nervously, Emma lowered her eyes at Monica’s comment and flexed her fingers around the beer resting on her thigh. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

Monica leaned forward and tapped her knee to get her attention. “Emma, we need heroes, but not another Jenni. She was one-of-a-kind. She was running from her demons and lived her life in a way I wouldn’t wish on anyone else. We’re not expecting you to be a second Jenni. We’re just glad you’re here to help us rebuild.”

“Am I looking like a deer in headlights?” Emma asked with the nervous giggle.

The other two women exchanged amused looks and grinned.

“Maybe just a little,” Bette replied. “I mean, the whole Fort is talking about you killing an entire town of zombies. You’ve definitely been granted legendary hero is status right off the bat. We know that can be pretty intimidating.”

“Don’t get me wrong. Everyone’s been great. It’s just they all keep staring at me.”

Monica sneered at the hotel. “People around here are good, decent folk, but they can be a real pain in the ass. And speaking of pains in asses...”

Juan appeared in Emma’s periphery, beer and chair in hand. He set the lawn chair next to Emma and collapsed onto the frayed blue and white plastic seat. Like Emma, he was dressed in fresh clothing and his curly hair was tucked behind his ears in a short ponytail. Taking a long swig of his beer, he leaned back in the chair, his long legs stretching out to nearly touch his cousin’s feet. Jack, the German Shepherd she’d met earlier in the day, settled down beneath his legs and yawned with contentment.

“Kids in bed already?” Monica asked.

Juan laughed, shaking his head. “Nah. I left them with my mom. They’re pretty hyper after being cooped up in the hotel room all this time. I’m going to be glad when we get those bodies cleared away so they can get some fresh air.”

“Do you let them past the wall?” Emma glanced at him, curious. She had no idea what it was like to be a parent in the z-poc.

“No. Absolutely not. But we do let them into the Main Street area to play and hang out with their friends. With all the corpses remaining outside the walls, I don’t want to take a chance with disease. There are a lot of bugs swarming the bodies.”

“When are you clearing those out, cuz?”

“Bulldozers tomorrow. After that, the powers that be say that we get a few days off to recover,” Juan replied. “Just going to keep the sentry and housekeeping shifts running.”

“We do need a break,” Bette said, looking pleased.

“Think those fuckers out there will give us one?” Monica waved toward the hills. “Gawddamn zombies.”

“They’re on the move away from us,” Rune said, joining them. The biker set a lawn chair beside Emma and settled on it with a beer in both hands. His snowy white hair fell over one shoulder in a braid.

“How do you know?” Monica asked.

“I got word from one of my friends,” Rune answered.

“Why didn’t this friend tell you about the runners?”

“Because the friend only shares what it wants to share.”

Staring intently at his beer, Juan said, “It’s not Jenni, right?”

“No, compadre, it is not the loca.”

Juan nodded and took a sip of his beer.

Obviously curious, Bette leaned toward Rune. “So who? Anyone we know?”

“Nah. It’s a ghost following the horde because his wife is a part of it. I knew him back in the day, old biker friend, so he dropped by to say hello before moving on after her.”

“Ghosts stop by to say hello?” Emma scrunched up her face in disbelief. “Seriously?”

Rune shrugged. “Sometimes.”

“You’re a very interesting person, Rune.”

“I can be. But most of the time I’m just ornery.”