Page 21 of Creepy (The Zombiepidemic #1)

“I’ve been there before with the Stayers.”

“That’s why I’m talking to you first. I’ve got to know where to go. I mean, I know Rapides Parish pretty well. I only need a location.”

“I’m going,” I said in a rush.

Wade laughed a bit. “I thought you were planning to. I’d rather you not.”

“Of course, I planned on leaving already, but whatever Mabel gave me for pain knocked me out. Planned to leave before dark, though.”

“That’s smart.”

“Yeah, duh. And I’ve been there, but more importantly, Dillon wants to talk to me.”

“You’re hurt. What are you thinking?”

“You all don’t know who you are dealing with.”

“I’m not scared of Dillon.”

“Dillon is not the same man he was before.”

“We’ve all had to do whatever it takes to survive. He’s not the only one who’s changed.”

“He’s got backup. Lots of it.”

“And if you come and get hurt... You’re already hurt.”

“I can distract Dillon while you break Troy loose. It’s perfect. No risking Joey or anyone else.”

“Are you set on this? Who’s to say he’s still alive.”

“I’ll be going with or without your help, Wade.”

“How are we going to get in?”

We were planning now, so I assumed he agreed with me going. “I’d intended to just drive up and give myself over to Dillon and talk to him. Ask him to release Troy.”

“Trade yourself for him. I don’t think so. You know that Joey and I don’t care about whoever this guy is, Troy, right?”

I nodded about the name part but understood they had no connections to Troy.

“The only reason we’ll be rescuing him is on account of you. The only reason I’d planned to go tonight myself was, so you don’t go and do something stupid.”

“Stupid?”

“Giving yourself over to Dillon is stupid. Especially, when we could just sneak in there and break your friend loose.”

“So, what’s your plan?”

“How many people are we talking about? How many are in his gang?”

“Loads, hundreds.”

Wade almost choked. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“No joke. Anyone from around these parts who survived has joined them. I’m sure if my brother hadn’t been with you, the Stayers would’ve recruited you too.”

“No way. We’ve come across a few groups. We’re not about joining any communes.”

“Well, I only said recruited because it’s the word the Stayers use, but people essentially don’t have a choice. You wouldn’t have had a choice.”

“If that’s a fact, you genuinely think Dillon will just hand Troy over?”

Only if I gave myself up or promised to at a later date. Something that had crossed my mind. Or if I promised more sex or something. I truly didn’t have a plan other than appealing to Dillon’s sympathies. “You’re right. We need a different plan.”

I told Wade all I knew about the Stayers, their location, and estimated numbers, about how they’d captured me before.

They’d stripped me naked and put me in a cage for all to see.

Mostly men, a few of them jerked off in front of me.

I told him about how they’d regressed into a primitive mob.

All of Dillon’s doing from what I could tell.

In all honesty, I’d spent the better part of a week with them, so knew little other than the basics.

I told him about the Stayer’s lifestyle, about the rules I knew.

Nothing goes to waste, even people. You’ve got to do your part.

I told him about how they’re hunting and fishing the Red River and camping out while they’re surrounded by a city, hotels, you name it.

They’ve chosen to be self-sufficient even when it comes to shelter.

Most importantly, I spoke of how they stockpile weapons and shun most modern conveniences.

Hell, they shunned morality. It was like they were finally free of the restraints of common southern decency and relished in it.

The Stayers were like a biker gang on steroids.

They were not interested in returning to some sort of modern society.

They were making their own, based on whatever Dillon decided was best. He played on their animal instincts, rewarding the most ruthless of them and encouraging them to explore their darkest desires.

However, they weren’t only about surviving the now and enjoying it, although that was a big part of it, they were preparing for a future where no one was coming to rescue them.

They didn’t believe the electricity was ever coming back on.

The government had abandoned them to die, and if Uncle Sam ever showed up, they wouldn’t go peacefully.

They wouldn’t just fall back into the trap, as Dillon called it.

They wouldn’t be chickens, laying an egg every day, or the farmer beholden to the few buyers of said eggs.

They would no longer be cogs in the American machine.

The Stayers wanted to go back to what they felt was a simpler time.

I didn’t quite agree that dying of preventable diseases or confining women to the role of making babies was a simpler time.

“The Stayers are camping downtown, around the Hotel Bentley, that big fancy hotel on the waterfront. That’s where Dillon stays. He’s basically a god to them. He separated the men and women into factions. Some oversee food and supplies, some are cleaners.”

“Cleaners?”

“They round up the zombies and take them to a nearby hospital, one that still has a crematorium. They burn the bodies. Then there are the guys in charge of protection. Those are the ones we need to worry about.”

“And Dillon is in charge of all this?”

“Yeah, he’s the mastermind. He enjoys the spoils of their efforts. They don’t have to think for themselves.”

“Any way to tell any of them apart?”

“The different factions? Not really unless you count the Protectors who dress a bit more badass than the rest.”

“Like how?”

“Leather, chains, like an 80s sex shop but with weapons. Oh, and they have motorcycles.”

“I’ve seen them. Got anything like that?”

“No, but there’s a boutique up off the highway on the way there that might have something like that. Used to be anyway.”

“We’ll have to look the part. I know where we can score a bike if the Stayers haven’t cleaned out Creepy.”

“They haven’t.”

Wade’s eyes lit up.

“We’ll need to take a can of gas.”

“Got weapons?”

“Yeah, the ones Dillon gave me.” I had more in the basement of the Jules’ Estate too but wasn’t getting into that yet.

I couldn’t believe we were planning to dress up and sneak into the Stayer’s territory. It made sense since I couldn’t stroll in with my bad ankle. I’d ride in on the back of a hog. We’d cover much more ground looking for Troy, but how would we get him back?

When I asked Wade as much, he said we’d take the car too as far as we could. We’d hide the car with keys in it, so there’d be a way to get us all back to Creepy.

The first stop was Wade’s mom’s house. I’d been there before on my raids, so I knew his stepdad’s Harley still sat in the garage.

It’d been on my red pen list of useful items to revisit in the future.

No time for reminiscing, we gassed it up and headed to the boutique I’d told Wade about.

I knew the way, so I drove my dad’s Buick this time and Wade followed me on the motorcycle.

Pressing the gas pedal was a challenge. I still had those painkillers in my pocket, but there’s no way I could fall asleep again.

I cursed myself for not thinking ahead and taking something else.

My stomach also rolled because I hadn’t eaten.

As I parked the car, I wondered what kind of snacks a sex shop would have.

“Boutique? This is a sex shop.” Wade exclaimed when he took off his helmet.

He was right, but I would not admit it. “It says boutique right on the side. Bootstrap Boutique. And I know for a fact they have more than dildos.”

We had to break in. Wade insisted on picking the lock rather than breaking windows. “You don’t want the weather to ruin everything,” he explained. “How do you know this place has more than dildos?”

“I had been planning a wedding, which means Bonnie had been planning my bridal shower. We looked around a few times. They have biker stuff, too. Leather.”

“Oh, your best friend Bonnie Tyler?” It was a question.

“Dead.” I blew out a breath.

He was still fiddling with the lock. “And her brother?”

“Oh, Richard? Dead.” I tapped my foot.

“How about...”

Before he could get out the name, I shouted, “Dead or gone. Everyone in Creepy, dead or gone.”

Wade stood. “Hey.” He wrapped his arms around me.

I laid my head on his chest for a second.

Wade was warm. He smelled nice for it being the end of the world.

He must’ve been in the pool over at the Jules’ Estate earlier.

It felt good to be held. Wade stroked my red hair.

I’d have to shove it up into a helmet once we found disguises.

Nothing felt better to me than having my hair fondled.

I could feel all the pain in my body lessen with each stroke.

“It’s going to be okay.” His chest rumbled beneath me.

I glanced up at him, and it happened like magic. Our lips touched. We almost kissed but not quite. I pivoted away, bent, and picked up a decorative paving stone. Smashing the glass door felt great.

Surprised the Stayers hadn’t touched it with their love of leather and the forbidden, I shined my flashlight around, highlighting all the goods.

Right away, I found a Snickers bar tucked beside the register like it’d been someone’s uneaten lunch.

I swallowed it whole without offering Wade a bite.

Wade, who appeared eager to get on with the rescue now that I’d practically rejected him, searched for clothes, stuffing his backpack full.

Any other time I might welcome advances from Wade, but I had rescuing Troy on my mind.

With my recent romps with Troy and Arlo hanging over me, not to mention Dillon, I wasn’t about to add another love interest to the list. Not yet, anyway.