Page 5 of Dyana (Love in the Apocalypse #3)

I was now on day three of my search for Kelly.

Since Main Street was a bust, I decided to hop in my SUV and drive through the neighborhoods in hopes that someone would see me and flag me down.

It was incredibly unsettling that I had yet to see a living person.

Where did everyone go? There weren’t enough zombies around town to account for every citizen, so where were they?

After weaving through the streets, I gained quite a following.

Funny how less than a week ago, the word “following” meant something completely different.

And entirely superfluous.

Who gave a shit now how many views you got or if you went viral?

Everybody’s viral now.

I chuckled at my dark joke as I sped up a little to distance myself from my ever-so-dedicated fans.

Driving around wasn’t doing me any favors, and it hadn’t brought me any closer to finding Kelly.

I was calling it. She wasn’t here. I’d go home, finish packing, and head out in the morning.

Maybe Kelly was already on her way to Wyoming or had left town with the other survivors.

For all I knew, she was in the neighboring town waiting for me to find her.

I drove to the school. I hoped to lose the small horde of zombies in the large parking lot.

I hadn’t searched the school, mostly because I didn’t need to.

When I checked it out yesterday, I could see the zombies roaming the halls through the windows.

Could Kelly have been among them? Anything was possible, but since I found her purse in the arcade, I was leaning toward not likely.

Besides, if I accepted the possibility that she was in the school, I would have to accept that she was gone, and I refused to do that.

I couldn’t do that. Not yet. Right now, finding Kelly was the only thing that kept me going.

Without that, I might as well go into my parents’ bedroom and blow my brains out because what the hell was the point?

As I circled the lot, I caught movement from the corner of my eye.

I watched zombies break through a second-floor window and tumble through like the worst waterfall ever.

Not that the fall hurt them. Most of the lucky bastards didn’t land on their heads, and the ones that did quickly made nice, comfy landing pads for the rest. And people said it was hard to grow more followers.

Not that I didn’t appreciate the support, but I wasn’t interested in hosting a meet and greet, so I sped out of the lot, leaving them all behind.

I drove back to my house and parked on the grass as close to the front door as possible, because who would stop me?

Society was well past the whole stay off the grass thing.

In the grand scheme of things, who the fuck cared about their yard anymore?

I went inside and finished packing everything I planned to bring to Wyoming.

Then, with nothing left to do, I pulled out the old family movies and put myself through emotional hell for the rest of the night.

It felt necessary, like I needed to commit every one of them to memory since I’d likely never see them again, and it didn’t seem practical to bring them with me.

I made sure to pack a family picture and one of Kelly to show around.

After one last sleepless night in my bed, I got into Dad’s truck and left my house for the last time.

I went north toward Wyoming and stopped at the next town to ask if anyone had seen Kelly.

Guards were posted at the entrance to the town, but didn’t stop me as I passed.

After being in a city of zombies, it was odd to see so many humans.

Everyone was going about their morning like the apocalypse hadn’t happened.

And looking around, I could almost believe that here it hadn’t, if it weren’t for the armed guards.

I parked and entered the little diner. Everyone went quiet as I stepped through the door, which wasn’t ominous at all. I sat at the counter as a waitress about my age approached.

“What can I get for you?”

“Just a coffee, thanks,” I replied.

She set a mug in front of me and grabbed the coffee carafe. Glancing furtively over my shoulder as she poured, she said quietly, “Drink your coffee and then get out of here. “

“I’m sorry?”

The waitress looked me in the eyes. “Drink your coffee and leave this town before it’s too late. You aren’t safe here.”

I wasn’t safe? I glanced over my shoulder and saw three policemen watching our exchange from their booth.

The rest of the diner also watched us, though not as blatantly.

Not one to ignore a warning, I turned back to the waitress.

“Got it. All I wanted to do was ask if you’ve seen my sister,” I said as I showed her the picture of Kelly.

She looked at the picture and shook her head. “Sorry, I haven’t seen anyone that looks like her come through here.”

I nodded. “Ok, thanks for your time.” I dropped a couple of bucks on the counter and stood.

When I turned, the police officers from the booth were standing behind me. “Did I hear you were looking for someone?” the one in the middle asked.

“My sister,” I said, trying to slide past them.

“Why don’t you show us the picture?” the man on the left asked as he blocked my escape. “We’re the law; we would know better than Joy if someone had passed through our town.”

“Of course,” I replied. I showed him Kelly’s picture, and he took it, studied it, and then handed it to the man beside him. That man looked at it briefly before giving it to the older man beside him. This man studied it closely before returning it to me.

“She looks familiar. She may have come in with some of the refugees we took in yesterday. If you’d like, we can take you to the house they’re staying in, and you can look for her there,” the older man said.

Given Joy’s previous warning, something about this felt off, but I couldn’t ignore the possibility that Kelly was here. I had to find out if something shady was happening here and if Kelly was involved. “That would be great,” I replied. “I’ll follow you over in my truck.”

“You can ride with us,” the middle one suggested.

“I’d rather take my truck. If Kelly isn’t there, I need to hit the road right away to get to the next town,” I replied.

He opened his mouth to protest, but the older man cut him off. “It’s fine, Riggs. The girl can follow us in her truck.” He gestured toward the door with a warm smile. “My name is Sheriff Finley. Why don’t we see if we can reunite you with your sister?”

Before leaving the diner, I glanced back at Joy, who watched me with a sad look as she was sternly talked to by a heavy-set man in a dirty apron around his waist.

I wasn’t stupid. Every single alarm bell in my head was screaming.

As I got in my truck and followed them to the refugee house, I even considered speeding past and getting the fuck out of there.

Only I didn’t. I couldn’t. Because what if?

What if Kelly was there and needed me to save her?

I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t check.

As I got out of my truck and followed them into this house, the weight of my decision pressed down on me more and more with each step I took.

The men all smiled as they led me through the eerily empty house and to the basement.

I paused at the top of the stairs. It was one thing to follow them here, but to follow them into a basement?

Where were all the refugees they said they took in?

My hesitation must have told them that the gig was up because the man behind me simply wrapped his arms around me with my arms pinned to my sides and carried me down the steps.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” I screeched. “Help! Help!”

“Shut the fuck up,” Riggs said as he slapped me across the face.

The sting from the blow only silenced me for a few shocked seconds before I continued to scream for help.

While I did, Sheriff Finley turned and punched Riggs in the face.

He stumbled back in shock as Finley stood over him.

“We do not put our hands on women here! Let me find out you’ve struck her or any other woman again, and I’ll boot your ass out of town!

” He turned back to me. “That’s enough screaming, missy.

Ain’t no one can hear you down here, and if they could, they wouldn’t do nothin’ about it anyway. ”

I shut my mouth because I knew he was right. Every person in that diner knew what would happen if I went with them, and the only one who tried to warn me was the waitress, Joy. “Why are you doing this?” I asked.

Sheriff Finley grabbed my chin gently and turned my head to the side to look at my cheek.

He shot Riggs another dark look before answering my question.

“We aren’t doing anything to you that isn’t necessary.

Women-kind are more important than ever now.

We’re trying to take care of you. You’ll see that soon.

You’ll understand. We’ll let you sit down here and consider your future.

There are cold drinks in the refrigerator and snacks in the cupboard.

Feel free to use the facilities. That shower has excellent water pressure. ”

Sheriff Finley smiled again, and I had to wonder what kind of alternate reality I had stumbled into. He presented the amenities of my prison like he was describing a suite at The Plaza Hotel. “And what exactly will that future look like?” I asked.

“That part is up to you,” he replied. “This job is stressful. Keeping this town safe isn’t easy work.

You’re a smart, pretty girl. I’m sure you could come up with something to help with that.

If you choose to be integrated into our society, all of the things you arrived here with, your truck, belongings, weapons, will be returned to you as you gain our trust.”

“And if I don’t choose integration?”

“Well then, you’ll join our reproduction program.

You’ll be just as useful there, though I hope you consider integration.

You seem like a nice girl.” He patted my shoulder and gestured for the other two to return upstairs.

Their eyes raked down my body one final time before they left ahead of the Sheriff.

“Was Kelly ever here?” I asked as the Sheriff lifted his foot to the first step.

“No, she wasn’t,” he replied honestly.

My shoulders slumped in relief. While it seemed I would need to be saved instead of Kelly, I hoped she would never come here. I wouldn’t want this for her.

“Though I do hope she shows up.”

His soft, almost tender tone sent chills down my spine. Although he might look and act like a kind old man, inside, he was a monster—possibly the biggest monster of them all.

“I’ll be back tomorrow to hear your decision.”

As the door closed and was locked, I looked around the basement. “You’re really off to a great fucking start, Dyana. You barely made it ten miles down the road before you got captured. You should have just killed yourself when you had the chance.”

While I beat myself up over my life choices, I contemplated my biggest one.

The message was clear. Be a willing whore for the hardworking men in the police department, or become an unwilling breeder for whoever wanted to get their dick wet.

When Mom said in her note to do what I must to survive, I’m pretty sure this wasn’t what she had in mind.

Then again, maybe it was. Perhaps she understood better than I had what this world would become.

I only had one real choice if I wanted to make it out of this town alive. I’d “integrate” into their society, earn their trust to get my things back, and then find a way to escape. I grabbed a water and a bag of chips and plopped onto the couch.

Dyana, Badge Bunny Whore, reporting for booty.

If I couldn’t laugh about it, I’d cry.

And I wasn’t going to fucking let those bastards see me cry.