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Thomas was busy looking around, his mouth slightly open. Greta was still pissed over leaving the helicopter, but was looking a bit more impressed than mad now. Valerie craned her head to look up at the top of the wall.

Katarina slid out of the Hummer and Kevin followed. His crew climbed out behind him and they stood in a small, amazed group looking around.

The man walked over to Kevin and held out his hand. “I’m Travis.

Welcome to our home. ”

Kevin looked around before he slowly took the man’s hand. “Kevin Reynolds, glad to be here. ”

“So, how can we help you?” Travis asked.

Kevin could feel the older woman’s eyes studying him intently. He pegged her as former military. She seemed far too keen for a mere civilian.

Probably the Israeli sniper.

“I’m here to negotiate. I was sent by my superiors to ask for you to surrender the fort. ”

The man’s face grew solemn and the pregnant woman’s eyes narrowed.

The older woman just looked calm and deadly.

“But I’m here, on the behalf of the people at the Madison Mall and the men under my command to ask for your permission to relocate here and join your town. My superiors, frankly, can go to hell. ”

Travis looked surprised, then said, “Well, then, sounds like we got a lot to talk about. ”

Kevin smiled slightly. “You have no idea. ”

Chapter 16 1. The Bridging of Words This world was far different from his own.

As they were escorted out of an area where all the vehicles were maintained and stored in the fort, Kevin could not help but think of the vehicles in the mall’s parking lot that could not even venture past the gates where the zombies groaned and wailed. His men would turn on the cars once a week just to make sure the battery didn’t die. But here, there was a whole fleet of vehicles that seemed ready to go at a moment’s notice.

The only way out of the fort’s entry was a staircase that led up over the wall that separated it from the rest of the fort. Levers at the top and bottom of the staircase made it clear the stairs could be collapsed at a moments notice.

“Is this the only way in and out?” Valerie asked.

“When the garage doors are down, yes,” the older woman answered. “And those are reinforced. ”

When Kevin reached the top of the stairs, he found himself looking out over the reclaimed downtown of the small town. He felt tears come into his eyes and fought them back.

All the way from the secured courtyard where the trucks were kept and over the wall into the actual town, Kevin absorbed it all. He noticed how internal walls and gates divided the town up. He took in the guards on the walls and the construction workers. Children ran in the streets, shouting and laughing. Old people sat in a gazebo enjoying the cool air and warm sun. Young people were walking down a sidewalk outside of an old movie theater, talking and sipping sodas. The marquee read “Family Night Tuesday Night. Monster’s Inc and Shrek Double Feature. ” A pack of dogs ran around playing, yelping and carrying on as a cat sat calmly in the sun cleaning its paw.

As they walked, people stopped to look at the soldiers. A few people waved, others just stared. An old man, with navy tattoos covering his arms, gave them a salute. Kevin saluted back.

“Are you going to kill all the zombies, mister?” a little boy called out. He was playing with toy soldiers in the dirt.

“We’re working on it,” Kevin answered.

They walked past the back of city hall where a woman stood with a little boy, watching them suspiciously. The hotel loomed large and imposing.

When they entered, he glimpsed a young couple was kissing in a corner.

On the wall was a hand drawn poster announcing “Disco Night Friday Night. ”

This was far removed the mall and he felt a lump in his throat.

A large chalkboard in the hallway announced lunc

h as “Egg Sandwiches, homestyle fries, and chocolate milk shakes. ”