Bird-In-Hand Farmer's Market is situated five minutes off route 30, also known as Lincoln Highway, one of the larger routes through the county in tiny Bird-In-Hand, Pa. Chess parked his rental Chevy next to a fenced in pasture where horses roamed, snug between a road side stand that sold tomatoes and the route 340 sign. The route's true name was Old Philadelphia Pike smack in the middle of farm country. A perimeter had been set up on Old Philadelphia Pike between North Ronks Road and Railroad Avenue. Between the two sat Bird-In-Hand Farmer's Market. This market, on a Wednesday in mid November, was fairly busy for afternoon hours. Tourists and locals both gathered, plus a bus load of seniors on a road trip to Amish Country.
The bus brought the dead into town. One of the elderly passengers had a relative involved in an incident 48 hours prior in a town over an hour away. That person shared whatever bodily fluids, possibly a kiss hello or goodbye, and the virus had been unknowingly passed from person to person. Passenger zero reportedly felt ill for the last 24 hours, but didn't want to miss the bus trip the senior center had planned for more than a month. Passenger zero entered the building with the group, sat at a counter at an eatery and ordered a glass of water. While drinking the glass of water, Passenger zero reported feeling ill, drooled blood from the mouth. She became dizzy, lost consciousness and an off duty nurse assisted Passenger Zero from a standing position to a lying position on the floor. 911 was then called.
Having been inserviced and trained on signs and symptoms of Z virus, the primary symptomology being fever and loss of blood via the oral cavity, the nurse cleared an area around her and asked everyone to stand back and stay alert for possible Z virus infection until 911 services arrived. Good Samaritan nurse was credited with saving many lives in the immediate vicinity of Passenger zero.
Bystanders, according to local authorities, acted swiftly and calmly, then assisted with the evacuation of patrons from the market. The majority of those patrons made it out safely, but there were those who could not escape. Some remained inside possibly hiding and some remained inside possibly turned. An exact tally of those inside the market was unclear. Employees and bystanders assisted in securing the entrances and exits to prevent those turned from exiting the market space.
Surrounding counties, including that of Lancaster County, had put out public service announcements as well as commercials and created a website in regards to the Z virus, its methods of transmission, its suspected incubation inside the human body and then the way the virus transformed the living into the dead. All forms of first responders, nurses, doctors, and police underwent mandatory inservicing and training on the virus. Locals were paying attention.
Each team member had to sign up for specific training classes in public relations, emergency management, disaster preparedness, biohazard materials and handling. Although the classes were small and took a semester to sit through, they'd be sitting through fall, spring and summer I and II semesters. Their full time employment had gotten them into a bind. They all needed specific certifications and background checks and FBI checks, the list went on and on. None of them was thrilled with the idea that they would all be returning to a classroom environment. Chess specifically joined the military to avoid it. A straight D student, he needed the most help and guidance. He wasn't illiterate by any sense of the word, but higher education made him nervous.
"I read one book the entire time I went to school." He ranted as he turned a shade of red that rivaled Julia's. Half fear of failing and half reluctance to return to a classroom setting, the majority of their work was done online, they didn't have to enter the classroom. All the classes were small and insignificant, no major papers, a few tests, a passing grade and they'd all move on with their lives.
Which left Jody asking, "What about me?"
"Um, not sure." She answered. It was all she could say. "I'll look into it. Gimme time."
"Time...I can't even enroll in the courses, Julia."
Jody left on that statement. He disappeared. Where he went and what he was doing, no one knew because Jody didn't answer his phone.
"Julia, hey." Chess called, bringing her from her thoughts of Jody.
"Yeah, what?"
"Pay attention."
"I know, I know." She replied as they head the distance from the corner to the farmer's market, passing a few evac'd homes, businesses, a smorgasbord restaurant and an Inn. Those disturbed citizens were not happy, but they went along with evac procedure nonetheless. For the most part, the surrounding area was open fields.
Bystanders and good Samaritans did a bad ass job jumping in and taking the threat seriously. A lot of places and people wouldn't have reacted with such calm and eagerness to participate. She made a mental note to have Kelly mention that when she spoke to the press when all was said and done. The private citizens were taking this seriously. Julia felt a tingle of pride. "We're in fuckin Ronks, Chess." She said in a hushed tone. She paused her gait and she scanned the surroundings.
"I know where we fuckin are, Julia."
On a Wednesday afternoon, barren fields around them, crisp air and warmed by the weak sun's rays. Julia pulled her glasses over her head and eyes and adjusted them. Having grown tired of replacing her glasses, Chess made her go to the store with him to pick out sport frames. They fit and looked similar to goggles one would wear in the pool. Manufactured simply for sports so glasses wouldn't fall or break or get lost in whatever strenuous activity the vision challenged individual played. They were expensive, not covered under insurance, but they were worth the price as he would stop repurchasing glasses for her.
"Oh, my God." She said feeling the tears well in her eyes. "The last time I was here-"
"The last time I was here I killed kids. A pastor. A congregation of people so you could have your damn Ronks stronghold."
"Yeah, it was all so different." Her voice shook, recalling Ronks' farm at night. The smell of bonfires, burning bodies and the murmurs and cries of females being led away. "It's where I found Ashley." Not exactly the space and the farm, but close proximity to it.
Inside the perimeter there were no living people. A few dead scattered on the pavement between the parking lot entrance and the door to the enclosed market. A covered wagon was parked outside the place, underneath a wood covering. Julia checked it out as she passed. She had been through tiny Bird-In-Hand before this day and it looked nothing like this.
"Are you having flashbacks or something?" He asked her seriously. She wasn't the most emotional person walking mother earth and seeing her tear up was unusual, especially outside a farmer's market. "Are you ok?"
"Yep, I'm fine." She replied, stepping away from the blue wagon with it's large red wheels. "Cool is all. Think it still rolls?" She asked, looking over her shoulder to see it again.
"Doesn't matter, does it?" He asked as he approached the main entrance. Some handy individual had tied the doors shut with rope. "Jesus," He complained as he pulled the knife from his waist. He severed the ties that bound the doors shut and tapped the glass.
"They tried and they did an excellent job, I think. They have been listening to the PSA's." She reminded him. "The website has had a gazillion hits. People are listening." She said as he cut the rope free and then a zom threw itself at the door. Rather ferocious for a day walker, its face hit glass instead of Chess's face and teeth clunked against the window pane. Julia jumped. Purely reflex despite the glass and wood that separated their bodies from the bodies that made their way to the entrance.
"Yeah, I noticed that." As good a compliment as he could offer for the civilians. He still drew a line between civilian and enlisted. Julia drew the line between human and inhuman as she believed 'we're all enlisted now. Men and women, sane and deranged alike.'
Her self proclaimed, documented and filmed reputation preceded her. She was comfortable and calm. No fear came off her, no vibes that signaled nervous or shaken. The desire to protect the girl he'd known and loved for years remained present though. She was as cool with a glock in her hands as she was with a knife. She had no qualms opening fire or striking the dead with a knife. She could do so interchangeably and regretted not pushing her to join him on his team years ago. He shouldn't have divorced the little one, he should have taken her with him. Mental or not didn't seem to matter at this point in time.
"Babe, how we doing this? I say we open the door and let em out. Pick em off one by one."
"Well, we could." She shrugged. "Is that really prudent though? There are witnesses and-"
"Not trying to spend the night here." He admitted, but he had reasons. Jess didn't feel well, had some cramping that morning before and after her doc appointment and she was already 3 centimeters dilated. She swore that she'd have the baby sooner than later, early as opposed to her end of the month due date. He reluctantly left her at home when Julia told him Jay wasn't an option to partner and Tavin outright refused.
Chess opened the door, which she hadn't expected. She completely believed that he'd defer to her judgment. She hadn't yet had the talk with him about who was in charge of who. The Zombie Goddess claimed the fame on the calls, had her pictures in the papers and on the website and when people called to speak with someone in charge of the damn team, they called to speak to her. Not him. His actions in the field were purposeful, keeping her grounded, avoided letting the newfound notoriety swell her ego any more than it already was.
"Knife first." She yelled as Chess went gun first and unloaded on them. One by one as they exited, she had no choice but to fall back and pull her gun, which pissed her off. She had operated under the belief that quiet and calm made a better killing environment. Each bullet fired signified so much more than a peaceful end to a life long lived. Julia was not a fan of brain matter splattering, the complete destruction of the head at close range nauseated her in a modern setting. A lull between the groupings as they made their way from the rear of the market outside. They could hear and see them as they ambled at their uncoordinated gait toward the sunlight and their meal.
"Do your job." He said simply, dropping a clip and reloading for the next group.
I don't wanna work with you...she thought to herself. He was cold and lacked any kindness or humanity toward the dead. They're someone's family...dammit. He fired, killing in the bright light of day in the open for any and all to see. It would be traumatic and call their methods of extermination into question. It should be unseen. She firmly believed that if anyone witnessed the death, then they'd be traumatized and she wasn't a big fan of traumatizing those with innocent eyes.
"This isn't a swarm or a horde. Chess,"
He didn't see how the dead were exterminated mattered as long as the dead were cleared from the premises. He was trying to save the building, trying to minimize the destruction and the mess inside, and furthermore, save time and energy. He preferred it outside in the lot. It made sense till they stopped heading outside and they had to enter to clear the place.
"Morgan," He whispered as she moved a little too far ahead.
She had reminded him to call her Keller, not Jules or Morgan or babe. She slowed and took her time. She wasn't stupid. She could see and hear as well as he. He wanted to lead, not follow. She fell back and met him at his side. This wasn't some military movement. It was Bird-In-Hand at high noon. A farmer's market for Christ's sake. "Are you scared, Morgan?" She teased him, knowing he would be a bit nervous with her in the lead as opposed to the rear.
"No." He shook his head and denied that. Not scared at the Bird-In-Hand Farmers Market, no. Nests would kick up his nerves, their swift and agile movements, their ominous claws and their sharper than normal teeth. Creatures...no creatures, only zoms.
"Bored." He answered her matter of factly and he squeezed the trigger and watched grandma's body crumple into a heap of recently transformed flesh before his eyes.
She squeezed her own trigger, dropping grandpa beside grandma. "Really?" She sighed loudly. She would have come alone, but since Jayson had left for Philly to pick up Hannah and Tav had no interest, Chess was next in line. Tav was still in the mindset that he wanted nothing to do with the lifestyle. He further declined a part time invitation, but he had been put on the pay roll on an as needed basis. He felt the classes they were taking for their certs would benefit him. "I coulda rolled out with Tav." She said over her shoulder to him.
"Yeah, right." He mumbled. "You ain't getting him out here, Julia."
Chess preferred rolling out with Jody, but she hadn't thought of a way to enroll him in this organized employment yet. A man with no documentation and no way to prove he was who he was...outside of Ray Morgan. The federal government was no pizza shop and would dig a little more in depth as to who Ray Morgan was. Ray's active mental illness restricted him from payroll.
One large closed market with open shops next to each other. In a center of the establishment was an island of items for sale that ran the length of the market. All clear. Modern zom hunting provided plenty of lighting and no night vision was required. Electricity was in fact the greatest thing since sliced bread. How many hordes and swarms had to wait till morning because of darkness? How many nights had she run for her life because she could not see to fight them? Electricity excited her. It evened the playing field. While Chess had wiled away the evening and night hours behind the safety of a fence, she ran for her life and hid as well as she could till the sun rose, doing away with nests and...
"Julia, pay attention." Chess said, dragging her attention from the flipside to reality.
"I am, Chess." She insisted as she walked the market cautiously front to rear.
"No, you're not. Pay attention."
He walked along the aisle of the market across from her. He'd been talking to her, but she was in her thoughts, back and forth between alternate reality and the present through which she walked. They passed through fairly quick to the rear where they met with steps that descended to a lower level gift shop and stairs. In the gift shop they encountered living. All having secured themselves behind closed doors quietly till help arrived. Survivors. They had 20 something survivors and no zoms. The virus had affected the main level of the farmer's market.
"Hello." He said to Julia with a soft and encouraging smile. "I have seen you before, online of course." The man stood six foot one and loomed above her. A fan...she had many fans. They all applauded her and admired her. "I'm Isaac. Julia, nice to meet you."
"This way please, Isaac." She smiled and waved him along with the others as they calmly and quietly filed from the lower level to the exit which was directly up the steps. Chess would lead them to the outside and around the massacre that lay waiting by the main entrance. Instead of moving along as directed, Isaac hung back and spoke with her as she showed those in the lower level to the stairs.
"I am honored to meet you, Julia. I admire your work and your bravery."
She could only smile and keep the others moving.
"I attended the public forum where you spoke. I would like to see you sometime. Are you available to-"
"Isaac, thank you, but I am not." She replied before he could finish his statement. He stayed at her side, not too close, maintaining a personal space, which she liked a lot. Brown hair, cut short and smooth olive skin. Brown eyes and a sweet, nonthreatening smile. Muslim, Indian descent possibly and on any other given, single day of her life, she would have entertained him and his invitation. He was tall, dark, handsome, thin build with a very easy approach, but she was taken.
"I'm not asking you on a date." He added as she ushered the last patron up the steps.
"Oh, really, then what are you asking?" She asked as she pointed to the stairs in front of them. She glanced up at Chess as he led the people. People...he hated people and their emptions and their questions and needs. "I'm married."
He held out his hand. "As am I."
Well, damn...Julia thought to herself. "Up and out, Isaac. Let's go."
***** *****
"Hay, I'm here to pick up Shy." Jay said as he head to the crib in her room. "I'm not fucking with you or Terrence." She knew he showed up promptly on Fridays and then returned, unless otherwise directed, promptly on Monday afternoon. He handed over 150$, unsure what he handed it over for, and he went for his daughter. Two days early, Hayley said she had a job interview in the morning and the afternoon, and she needed him to watch Shy so she could go to interviews.
"But she's sleeping, Jayson."
He didn't care, she could sleep in the car like she did any other afternoon he picked her up. He'd missed an incident call to pick up Shy. Julia was pissed.
"What's your point, Hay?" He asked. Shy lay asleep on her belly and seemed as peaceful as ever. He leaned over the crib and gazed at her, hated to wake her to transport her. Hay stood at his side and she started crying. "Wanna keep her?" Whenever she called, he acted and he came to her. He listened to Julia complain, but she always let him go whenever Hay called.
"No, I-I think you should take her."
He spent time with Hayley, humored her and waited for Shy to wake up. He sat at the table with her and drank soda and kept her company, making small talk and then she blurted, "He hits me." Which made him do a double take and then pay attention.
"Who, Hay?"
"Terrence. Kev never laid a hand on me. He was so good to me, but when T gets mad-"
Jay had a feeling that Hayley wasn't safe. She wasn't herself whenever he visited and when he came to pick up Shy he felt something was off, but Hay was always so quiet and distant. Withdrawn, like she could not trust him.
"What do you wanna do?" He asked in plain English. He knew for a fact that Shy wouldn't return there and with Hay's admission, he'd have no issue in a court related arena. "Do you wanna go home?" He asked. Hayley had no ties to Philly without Kevin and since he was dead and burned somewhere on the corner of Ruth Street, he was a non issue. "You have a degree, Hay. You have a way out."
"What is the way out?"
Jay showed her by pointing at the door. It was across from the room from them after all. He never could understand a woman who couldn't see the way out even when it sat across from her. Once the threshold was crossed, then what? Men never thought bigger picture, what happened once on the other side of the door?
Hayley pulled her shirt down and revealed purple bruises. Her shirt dipped over breasts that didn't reveal nipples, but close enough. Jay leaned back in his chair and thought about Shy, not Hayley. "Get your shit, then. Come with me, Hay."
"Where?" She asked, tearing up.
How she sat across form him and saw no options baffled him. "Out the door, get your shit." He said quietly.
"Where though?"
"Home, Hayley. Where else?" He raised his voice and he ended the conversation. If she chose not to tag along with him, then her options closed and his and Shy's opened up. Hayley could make her own decisions, good or bad, but to include Shy in those bad decisions made him angry. Even though she tried to explain that T would never hurt Shy. T was very nurturing and easy with Shy. That information didn't matter to him in the least.
"Home," She laughed. "My parents never accepted Shy because of Kevin."
"Kevin's not her dad. I am. Come home. We'll figure something out."
Jay lit a fire under Hayley and had her pack a bag and then, true to form for Hayley, she packed three more and loaded up his trunk. All this was accomplished while Shy was sleeping and while Jay waited. He called Julia to let her know, but she didn't answer. The dead had a way of interfering in normal life. He understood that, but would Julia understand Hayley in their home? He scooped up his daughter and left the small, handicapped accessible apartment with her. He had no strings with Hayley Bond, but as Shy's mom and his life long friend, he felt obligated to help her. He was sure Julia would understand.
But Julia didn't understand, or wouldn't allow herself to understand. "Where's she at, Jayson?" Her voice raised through the phone in his ear. "Don't tell me she's in our house."
"Where else should I take her, Julia?"
"I am not, repeat, I am not getting involved between her and T. Get her ass out of my house." Then she hung up on him.
"What did she say, Jay?" Hayley asked as she held a cranky Shy against her.
"She said you're welcome as long as you like."
***** *****
"S'up, Julia?" Chess asked as he watched her change from her normal pallor to an angry shade of red.
"Hayley is what's up." She answered.
Don't talk about Hayley...he thought as his eyes roamed the crowd of bystanders at the police perimeter line. Behind yellow tape after all was said and done was Isaac. He was watching her, but also spoke with other bystanders, survivors and authorities. "Who's that guy, Julia?"
"My biggest fan." She answered as she snapped a picture of the corpse over which she stood. Damn bus passengers caused problems. Living an hour away caused problems locally. There was a protocol, but there was also the little problem of location. These bodies should all be shipped home and not on any tour bus either. "I see you have fans as well." The groupies had crawled out of the clubs and off their stripper poles.
"It happened on duty too."
"Ah, the perks of killing the dead."
"It is a perk." He grinned. "But not them. No." He shook his head as he crouched beside her and the next body as she snapped the next picture. "On duty, the local girls showed us a good time. They were grateful, cute or hot or whatever. They, over there, are a different breed." His eyes scanned the group of girls at the police tape. Not one was close to appealing. A shame, because in the field when everyone else went to the bar, Chess got first dibs. He had been too young to go in many a bar. He dipped into a different hole entirely and usually got the prettiest or most eager local female to accommodate him. Very friendly locals were. The girls at the police tape were local, but a different breed of local. They were not farmer's daughter. "Glad I got baby mama at home, cause I would not fuck that with someone else's dick." He watched the girls talk and point and smoke. "So what's up with ISIS over there?" He nodded head toward Isaac.
"He's very kind." Julia whispered as if he could hear her.
Ladies first...he had said as Julia made him leave the confines of the lower level gift shop. She had spent a good half hour humoring him and his questions once outside and waiting for the M.E.. He had many questions. Short of asking for an app to join, he was pleased passing clever and short conversation over a smoke with her. Quite the entertaining and curious sort of fellow, he was kind and soft spoken, polite and he spoke eloquently. A different sort of guy in his twenties who made no particular sexual innuendo toward her. He seemed genuinely interested in her career path.
"He asked me out for coffee after the incident."
"He did? Is he looking for a bullet in his head?" Chess asked, offended she would even entertain the guy.
"He's nice and he doesn't seem sexually forward."
"You're going?" Chess asked, surprised by the interest in her fan.
"No, Chess. I declined the offer." She couldn't accept the kind offer. "He's married and so am I." If she hadn't been married to Jayson, her decision would have been different. Unfortunately Jayson's decision making hadn't changed. He made dumb decisions sometimes, against his better judgment. As evidenced by Hayley Bond and her presence in her home. Julia swore sometimes that she was the most normal among her group, the one of sound body and mind. She and Chess, who normally were the most unstable, had settled and the rest of them went and lost their damn minds.
"Good." Chess said quietly as he watched Isaac walk toward the police officer closest to the police tape. The police officer approached, leaving his post, which pissed Chess off.
"He'd like to leave as would some of the others. Would it be cool if they retrieved their vehicles?"
"Why are you asking me?" Chess asked him as he and Julia walked to the next grouping of corpses on the pavement.
"The gentleman would like his motorcycle and a couple of the women would like their minivans."
"Julia, what's the protocol say?" Chess asked as he got to his feet from his crouched position.
"It says," Julia looked annoyed at this point as she glanced up at the officer who'd left his position. "That you should fucking know better." She raised her voice. They'd all been trained and they'd all been warned. A kid himself, probably a new cop, looked caught off guard and having been spoken to by Zombie Goddess negatively, he would only hear worse as the hours passed till she released the scene to clean up. "Why have you left the post? Why are you out of position? Why are you, the authority, deferring to civilians?" She asked.
She pointed to the police tape and then grunted at him. "As soon as the Manganelli's load these bodies, I will release the vehicles. Understand?" She asked in a more kind tone.
"Yes."
"Shouldn't be long." She added as the young cop walked back to the police tape. For the most part the scene was a ghost town. Once they were declared all clear, local authorities cleared out and moved on, got back to life as they knew it and left volunteer policemen or policewomen or volunteer fire crew at the scene. They were on the perimeter for no pay or little pay.
News crews arrived with their cameras and their news vans and satellite equipment. Julia and Chess both looked forward to a day that these incidents came and went like a motor vehicle accident or a random shooting, with little interest from news media. Local news had nothing going on and Zombie Goddess and her former marine sidekick were the focus of the afternoon news on line and on TV. Until the scene was declared clear, they couldn't get close at all, just like the general public. It was a serious threat till the dead were all exterminated and most, if not all, the news media understood that. Any member of the news media who approached the scene would be prosecuted or worse. It was not a first amendment issue, it was a security issue.
"Morgan! Morgan!" They heard a journalist call from the police tape perimeter. Their heads both turned, hers more from habit as opposed to true name. She identified as a Morgan more so than a Keller. Similar to Kelly who identified as a Keller as opposed to a Mason.
"Me or you, Goddess?" He teased her.
"I'd say whoever responds." She sighed. The United States government could identify her and address her by her true name, but the locals in their internet searches only found the most recent paperwork on her and it all indicated she was Morgan. She had a marriage certificate on file at the courthouse that said otherwise.
27 bodies laid out neatly on black top and all had been painstakingly identified. Dr Khan arrived after his shift ended and signed off officially on all 27 death certificates. The Manganelli's followed with their body bags and their quiet and professional demeanor. Their cold and distant attitude was felt by Julia, whom they didn't acknowledge or speak to. She had been the reason they did not have a county contract to retrieve the dead. Dominic Manganelli himself approached Julia since Chess was hospitalized. The county had loosely put together a team for killing the dead and he wanted in on that cash flow. She advised him if he wanted a county contract, then he should take himself and his representation to the county and get one. Thus bad blood. Uncle Dom met Chess Morgan with a handshake, a hearty hug hello and chit chat. Chess insisted on calling Dom's line and let them thru the tape ahead of the county liaison. He dealt with the county liaison once and they were, according to Chess, 'complete fuck ups'. She agreed whole heartedly with Chess and shunned the county liaison as well. Hindsight was 20/20, but she had issues trusting Chess's judgement.
They didn't take this animosity out on Chester Morgan. He had been high as a kite with a chest tube in Maverick General. Dominic Manganelli had already gone that route and visited him in the hospital. It was, in fact, where he learned Julia was temporarily in charge of anything county related as he was under the weather. In his absence, Julia would be the go to person for anything business related. He trusted her in regards to all things zombie.
"Wanna go eat when we're done?"
"Huh?" Julia giggled. She couldn't go for coffee with Isaac, but could dine with Chess for dinner.
"Dinner. The family fuckin restaurant's right there." He pointed at the sign as the Manganelli's drove their refrigerated U-Haul off the lot and away from the scene. Bird-In-Hand Family Restaurant and Inn was situated right next to the farmer's market. It smelled delicious as the kitchen was up and running. His phone dinged, an email.
"Ignore that shit." Julia hissed as Chess read the Incident email from the commander general.
"We can't ignore that shit."
"Who says? We don't answer to them. Got our own damn incident report to fill out."
"Julia, for the last time." He moaned, knowing the I report would be forwarded to the department in the federal government anyway.
"You are not a marine anymore."
"I am always a marine, Julia." He snapped at her. "I may have left, but I will always be a marine. Don't ever say different."
"Yes, Sir." She offered a fake salute to him.
He saved the email, but he didn't open it up. He pointed out that each incident gathered them a check. Each report they filled out earned them wages from the United States government. An incident was an incident and needed to be officially documented on a federal level as well as local level. The I report kept a tally of not only all the incidents, but the operators. It was, according to Chess, like a score card. It would pay off eventually for them. He wasn't sure at the time how or why, but keeping his people one foot inside the federal government was important. It was the one area of the protocols that Chess insisted on and had Jimmy Darth put in place. "Who polices the damn police?" Chess asked the first day in the hospital as he surfed a wave of Morphine in his vein and brain.. He further speculated that if the county bid went south, the United States government would be a damn fine back up. Chump change in terms of incident pay, but still something. Right now, they had to provide for their own transportation to and from incidents and until the county office was set up in Maverick. They had to utilize their own computers and printers, cells, vehicles, clothing let alone provide their own damn bullets and weapons. Weapon of choice had been Julia's sticking point. She still chose that bowie knife over live rounds any day. "It's cheap." Julia shrugged. As long as there was no nest involved, she didn't have to put out any money for any weapons or bullets. Those who chose gun first would foot the bill. None of their weapons would be covered till January when the county rapid response would be officially in effect. Their mandatory cert classes would have to be completed before they got the official badge or swearing in.
"I'm gonna need Jayson tomorrow if Jo don't come back." Chess informed her as he held the restaurant door for her. "I'll text him later, but I wanted to let you know too."
"Where the hell is he?" Julia asked as she and Chess waited to be seated.
"If I knew, then I would tell you. He's bent out of shape about the business and not being included."
"What am I supposed to do about it, Chess? Seriously. I can't prove who Jody is any more than he can or you can."
She'd been in a fantastic mood since she started working. Killing shit, as she called it, had worked wonders for her overall mood. Normal Julia had returned and as long as she could continue to legally 'kill shit', then she'd be tolerable in a social and nonsocial setting. He hadn't been the only person who'd noticed either. The Zombie Goddess was calm, cool and collected, mature beyond her normal state and for all appearances, happy. She was still short tempered and easy to set off, but she'd improved in leaps and bounds. Chess surmised it had more to do with control perhaps confidence perhaps someone listening and taking her seriously more so than killing shit, but she didn't need to know that. The difference a couple months made.
Julia looked at her cell when it buzzed. Jimmy Darth reminding her to be at the county health office by 9am. She rolled her eyes and then slid the phone towards Chess. He shrugged and slid it back to her. "So? Gonna be an issue?" He asked her seriously. "Tell me now, so Jimmy can deal with it."
"Not for me. How about you?"
"My sweet and lovable Julia, I have a fuckin twin for a reason." He grinned. "Babe, I am high now. I stay high." He looked at the menu in front of him and closed it after spying liver as a menu choice. She nearly vomited on the table as she didn't even look at the menu. She wanted the smorgasbord. "Soup, woman, you know what I like."
"Iced tea." She replied as she walked away from the table.
Once at the smorgasbord area, plate in hand, Isaac chose that moment to stand beside her. She laughed to herself and shook her head as she chose food and piled it on her plate.
"I'm not a stalker, I swear. I was finishing my meal and noticed you here."
Bout to get shot, Isaac...she thought as she could feel Chess's eyes burning into them. He's gonna think something's up..."Not a stalker?" She asked as she glanced upward at brown, happy eyes.
"Oh, yeah, not a stalker." He shook his head. "Before I leave, I want to thank you and let you know that I think you're an amazing female."
"Ok, Isaac, you're welcome."
"If you're ever in Jersey, look me up. Isaac Singh." He said. "I'm on Facebook, you can message me. Unless you want my number."
"I'll message you next time I'm in Jersey." She replied. "Stay safe." She smiled as he turned to walk away from her.
"You too, Julia." He had a motorcycle helmet tucked under his arm and a bill for his meal in his leather gloved hand. "Nice meeting you."
She watched him walk away. Tall and handsome in a boyish way. Possibly the most polite man she'd ever come across. Even though he seemed stalker-esque, she didn't feel the slightest bit threatened by him. She saw Chess moving once he walked toward the register. She caught his eyes and shook her head not to follow him. That had been the intention, but Isaac cut him off at the pass and stopped to talk with him. Isaac had questions for him as well, but Chess had effectively avoided him like the plague. He was harmless and he was only being friendly. Julia had learned in her day to go with her gut and her gut didn't send out a negative signal to her. As Julia gathered enough food on her plate for two people, she watched them talk. She watched Isaac as he conversed easily and nonthreatened by Chess. Although Chess was small, he could be threatening and confrontational. They separated with a handshake as she ladled soup in a bowl for Chess.
"Not a stalker." Chess said as she set the soup in front of him. "You're right. A little strange maybe, but not a stalker."
"I didn't get the feeling, you know." Considering she didn't normally like the company of the living, Isaac didn't leave her with a bad taste in her mouth.
"I know what you mean, but I don't like strange men following you around, talking to you or anything else with you. It's a personal thing, you know."
"Ok, understood." She replied, setting her plate on the table.
"Jesus, babe." He gasped as he saw the amount of food on her plate. "Thank God it's all one price."
"Cheap bastard." She giggled.
"Kinda spent all my funds on glasses and baby shit." He ate his soup while she ate enough for the two of them. He made her taste the liver dinner when the waitress brought it to him. "Oh, thanks." He said as she set it on the table in front of him. It was the happiest she'd seen him in awhile. All for liver. "I love this. Grandmom made it for me when I was little."
"Grandmom? Jay's grandmom?"
"Jay's grandmom is my grandmom, too, Julia, and no. My dad's mom." He said. "I eat this like once a year and that's more than enough. An acquired taste." He smiled. She loved Chess's genuine and unforced smile. He looked at her as she chewed the bite of liver he had stuck in her mouth. "Well?"
"Um, it's different."
"It's not chewy is it? It should be tender, not chewy."
"I'd say tender." She shrugged, not having ever tasted it before. Liver was never a big organ in the Fry household. "The liver is a very bloody organ." She stated confidently. She had heard Tavin say it over his anatomy book.
"I'm sure it is." Chess nodded as he tasted the first bite of his meal. "Perfect." He said with a smile. "Another bite?" He asked.
"No thank you." She shook her head. Ham and liver didn't really match well.
"Do you remember Lay's birthday?" He asked as he looked at the cell on the table next to his plate.
"No." She shook her head. "Why?"
"Jess's water broke." He said, leaning back in the seat.
"First baby, this'll take hours." Julia said calmly as Chess picked up the phone to call Jess.
He sliced up the liver and listened as Jess freaked out on the other end of the phone. "Yes, Jess. We're eating, but we're leaving soon." He listened as she talked and stayed as calm as possible while he ate. "I got a half hour ride back to Maverick. I need a shower, so it'll be about an hour. You'll be ok." He said assuring her. "Ok, then, call mommy. We'll be there as soon as we can." He set the phone down and continued to eat. "She's calling my mom and telling on me."
"She's scared, Chess."
"Could be worse, you know. We could be at a school with no modern medicine."
Julia nodded, pushing her plate aside. "Well, let's go have a baby." She picked up her cell and he picked up the bill the waitress had left for him.
Julia got hold of Kelly to hold her press conference. She sent her an email with incident specifics, but it wasn't necessary because the press had surrounded her and Chess outside the smorgasbord restaurant. Julia gave a quick overview of the incident, thanked all those who participated and assisted with the incident. She remembered to include the nurse and bystanders that remained alert and gave them credit where credit was due for saving countless lives.
Once it was evident that Jess would not be giving birth to baby girl Morgan any time before bedtime, she had Jayson pick her up at the hospital with Kelly in tow. She had her make up on and looked cute as ever in a new outfit. She even had a nose ring, a hoop that looped around her right nostril. She looked adorable and Julia told her as much.
"What happened to my press conference?" She asked as she and Jay met Julia in the lobby of the hospital at close of visiting hours. She was mad, but showed restraint in public. They had eyes on them all the time lately.
"I took care of it, Kell. No biggie. They were there when we left, so-"
She interrupted her. "I got the email and then no one showed up. I got dressed, begged my parents to watch Tare."
"Could have dropped him off with his dad." Julia mentioned as she walked through the lobby at their sides.
"Could apologize."
"For what?" Julia asked as she got to the car.
"For doing my job. It's my job." She yelled as she stood in front of Julia and glared at her. She looked at Jayson for some back up. "Jay, please tell her that when I do the press conference I get named as an operator and I GET PAID." She sighed annoyed under her breath.
"What?" He asked, distracted by thoughts of what Julia's reaction would be when she got home. Hayley had set herself up in Tarin's room temporarily. Compared to what she was used to, it was modest accommodations, but she was safe and comfortable and already on line filling out local job applications. "Huh? Sorry, I -uh-"
"It's my job." Kelly stated again for him. "If I don't do the presser, then I don't get paid. It's my job. Jay, please-"
"Yes, it is. You did yours and she should do hers." Jay opened the front door for Julia and then the rear door for Kelly. "Get in."
"I forgot. I'm sorry. It will never happen again, Kelly."
Kelly huffed in the rear seat. "Just take me home, please."
"I'll make it up to, Kelly. You can have my pay."
Jay closed the doors on both females and rounded the car to the driver's seat where he faced an uncomfortable ride through Maverick to Green Street. The animosity was palpable between the front and rear seats. Kelly's mood was remarkably labile lately, especially since her relationship with Tavin ended and her fling with Jody ended on a similar low note. Evidently Jody disappeared after their date and she was feeling doubly rejected.
"Don't feel too bad, he isn't answering my calls either." Julia reminded her, because to Julia, her needs, desires, feelings and phone calls came before some "teenage pussy he banged once in the Motel 6."
"Like you're not some pussy he banged once on a roof." Kelly retorted smugly. "You're the reason I went there to begin with. Jess said-"
"Yo, yo, yo." Julia spoke up, interrupting the statement of whatever Jess told Kelly about Jody. Julia hadn't gone there with Jayson and didn't see a point to doing so yet, if at all. She made a mental note to speak with Jesslyn about the meaning of just-between-us. Chess had mentioned that as well, considering that she had gone running off at the mouth about him and Ben having more than friendship over the Mason Dixon line. Julia had to apologize for that gaffe in judgment, but how was she supposed to know that Jess and Chess would wind up living together in some awkward hormone inspired relationship. Despite the positive effects the union had on Chess's personality and mood, he angered, but was slower to it. "Kell, no, please."
"You treat me so insignificant, always thinking I'm in the way. It hurts my feelings." Kelly yelled as she opened the car door in front of her house on Green Street. "By the way, I am more than teenage pussy he banged at the Motel 6, Julia."
"I'll take that under advisement. Thanks." Julia replied quickly. She wanted to go home and leave Green Street. She looked across the street at the house that had been ingrained in her memory, a house she'd burned down. She peered through the windows on the first level of the house. Someone lived there. That land housed nothing but negative energy for her. She took Jay's hand and held it as she thought of Amanda for the first time in over a year. "You're right, Kelly." She watched the TV flicker on the walls of the living room. Its uncovered bay window gave her a clear line of sight into the downstairs of the single dwelling structure.
"You alright?" Jay asked, looking at her as she held his hand a little too tight in hers. He glanced to his left and looked at the house.
"Yes." She lied uncomfortably. Uneasy, yes, she would be alright. Julia had spent countless hours in the efficiency above Mr G's shop looking at that pad of land, and had even cleared out and explored the house that stood there. She examined more than its structure and its walls as she had spent a good hour there in that room she considered Caleb's hideaway. "Jayson." She said under her breath. "That's a new house." She thought a moment and she recalled jumping home. She recalled a house that stood completely unburned by arson. A house that she had never, in reality, burned to the ground.
"No, it's not." Jay argued, eyes focused on the house across from them.
Kelly spoke up, "New windows and new siding, but it's the same old house." She stepped away from the car toward her parents house. "They did a lot of work on it. It's nice. Night, guys."
"It does look different." He admitted as he looked through the bay window to the interior of the house. He looked away, put the car in drive. "Is she OK?" Jay asked. "Where is she?"
"Here." She replied softly. Future Julia had long dealt with the memory of Caleb Downing and Shane Dixon. New Jersey had opened up new wounds for her. She knew that with time..."She's good. Home, Jay, we got drug tests in the morning."
It was common knowledge that every county employee faced drug tests on hire, but Jimmy Darth had put that off. Most of their team couldn't gain employment if they hadn't waited. The month was a gift from the powers that be. "How has it turned out that I am the only person among us who would pass a drug test?" Julia asked as Chess and Jay both reminded her their marijuana use would put the whammy on any kind of future plans, so 'independent business may be the way to go here' Chess had suggested high as a kite from his hospital bed. "We've had pot in our system since 8th grade. It'll take a minute to clean that out." Though Chess never intended on cleaning anything out of his bloodstream. Chess wanted to smoke, but once released from the hospital, his lungs hadn't immediately allowed for that. He was clean for about three weeks till he felt his chest could handle the smoke from weed.
"I got a twin." Chess's answer for everything and everything, a clean twin who refused to take any foreign mind control substances. What most people considered freeing the mind, Ray Morgan considered imprisoning the mind. "Lucky for me. That conspiracy theory of his is paying off finally." which meant the brothers Keller would be the ones sobering up.
Tavin believed he had a clean system, but admitted to the occasional Xanax or the occasional Adderall if he had work and exams. He didn't appreciate that the newest part time job could possibly interfere with his status at his full time job. The full time job hadn't drug tested him since his hire date and considering he was working for the county already, he couldn't fathom why he had to submit to any physical or drug testing. He furthered that with the additional classes he had to pick up that semester and devote time to. He already had a full course load, a full time job, a full time parent...'but you just keep adding it on. Keep it up, please, see how much I can handle before I completely break down."
Suddenly, to all of them, killing the dead for free seemed reasonable. Seemed that the U.S. government handed over information in regards to her and all of her team. The report specifically focused on her psychological issues and her addiction issues. Thanks to that report, she had to submit to psychological exams and monthly drug tests whether she liked it or not. She had expected to make some excuses and explanations to the powers that be, but future Julia agreed to all of it. She, herself would not have had the where with all to accept the criticism. As fragile as she was occasionally, she would have either had a break down or she would have got off on a rant, but future Julia reacted with maturity and acceptance, letting it roll off her. Future Julia had herself under control at all times. For her, the addictions and issues of her past were no longer issues. She had learned the reason for her psychotic breaks and her self-medicating. She'd worked through them and come to live with the decisions she made and the people with whom she made them.
On the way home, Julia was made aware of Hayley's presence. She had figured that Hayley was still in her house and Jay hadn't put her out. She didn't specifically order Cheyenne out of the house, only her mother. She clammed up, closed her mouth and let her old friend stay. She peeked into the middle bedroom before bed, spied Shy sleeping in a pack n play as Hayley filled out job apps on the lap top. She had specific paperwork sitting along side her that she needed to fill out her apps. Glasses on her face and her hair pulled up, she looked more mature and toned down than the last time she'd laid eyes on Hayley. She wore a PINK sweat suit and slippers.
"Hey," Julia whispered from the door way, keeping quiet to avoid waking the sleeping child.
"Hey." Hayley smiled, sliding off the bed and crossing to her. The stood in the hall in the dark. Julia watched Jay's shadow move around the bedroom thanks to the door less entryway. She made another mental note to have that taken care of with her first pay check, or move altogether, whichever came first. An awkward moment passed with a hug, then what was felt like forced small conversation. Julia wanted to feel her out, see where she stood emotionally. Julia didn't want to know specific details of her situation and didn't feel as though it was necessarily her business.
"Have you spoken with T yet?" She asked nervously.
"Yeah," She nodded and then the tears welled up in her eyes. Tears...nothing made her more uncomfortable than tears.
"And do you anticipate any problems or issues with this break up, Hayley?" She asked point blank. She hoped T wasn't the possessive type, but his snow bunny had up and left him.
"He said-" She cried and sniffled, but Hayley had a tendency for the dramatic. "I was Kev's shorty and we shouldn't have hooked up to begin with." She cried and then latched onto Julia, weeping on her shoulder while still trying to be quiet because of Shy sleeping in the room behind her.
"I'm-uh-sorry to hear that, Hay. You'll be alright." Julia tried to sound reassuring, but the embrace and the tears had her feeling smothered.
"I don't understand what happened though. We were close before Kev disappeared and once he-we-it all changed. I don't understand."
Maybe there's no zombie apocalypse to hold you together? Maybe your independence scares him. Maybe the fact that modern females stay modern and advance while modern men...stagnate..."I don't know, Hayley. So T is taking the fact you walked out on him ok, then?"
"I told him I left and I am not coming back, that I came home for good."
"And he said-"
"Good, stay here. Like there's not a million other bitches in Philly."
Julia quieted as Hayley unloaded her doubts and her sadness. Still not over Kev's death and she believed his status as missing got lost in the shuffle during the Kensington incident. No one of authority cared about a missing drug dealer in a wheelchair. Once T had found her bound to a chair that night in Philly, released her, the situation was left in his crew's hands. They wouldn't and couldn't exactly call the cops. They couldn't report that Kevin had been bound and gagged and removed while his girl was similarly bound, gagged and tied to a chair.
They had enemies and starting a gang war in the middle of the zombie apocalypse wasn't their brightest idea, but they did anyway. While Kensington burned and the people of Kensington tried to eat their neighbors, T and his crew went looking for Kevin. The city's police force had been diverted nearly 100% to Kensington and they went through the neighborhood and beyond looking for Kev, who had him and where they could have taken him. None of them knew about Jody, that Kev was the spark that ignited the Kensington blaze. As far as Hayley knew, Kev was missing and presumed dead and it all happened ironically on the night the city turned on itself.
"Where was Shy during all of this?"
"In the bedroom asleep, Julia. Where else would she be?"
She made one more mental note to throttle Jody. The baby was in the middle of all of it. If that plan had gone wrong in any way, the baby could have been caught in the middle of it. She had an idea that he'd planned for it, assumed that was a possibility and probably staged this drama for the evening for that reason, but it was risky with an infant involved. Why didn't Hayley recognize Jody or his voice?
"You don't have any idea who came in there and took him? Anything? Marks, tattoos, a voice, anything?"
"He wore a mask. He wore black and didn't say anything. He came in, pointed a gun at him, at us, and then he tied me up." She looked shaken while talking about it. Living with Kevin had its occasional downside, and situations were always a possibility.
"Ok," Julia shrugged. She'd heard enough. She didn't need to hear another word. "Do I need to worry about T showing up here?"
"No, I doubt it."
"Do you know anything that could get you or us killed?" She asked point blank, which was the whole purpose to the conversation to begin with. Julia didn't want Philly on her door step, not with the possibility of more than one kid in the house. The zombie conspiracy was one thing, but Philadelphia's drug dealers were another thing entirely.
"Sure, I know stuff, but they wouldn't say anything in front of me that would incriminate them. You know how they are." She whispered in the hall. "I do have something for you and Chess."
"Really, Hay. What would that be?"
Hay returned to her temporary shelter and withdrew a memory card from her bag. She placed it in Julia's palm and then closed her fingers over it. "Room and board." She shrugged. She turned and walked back to her room without another word.
Julia stood in her doorway, butterflies churning with the memory card in her palm. "Is this what I think it is, Hay?"
"Yes. It's what you think it is. He was my first love. You guys are family and we do things for each other." She got back in her bed and looked at the screen, began typing as if Julia hadn't been standing there. "Like that."
Julia went to the kitchen counter and retrieved the laptop. She took it to her room and she and Jay watched the video on the memory card. She cried while Jay watched Chess murder Shane Dawson. She set the laptop in his lap and went to vomit in the bathroom. Shane deserved the bullet in his head that night. When she returned, she wore pajamas and had showered the memory card from her mind and the feeling of Shane off her flesh.
"She can stay as long as necessary." Julia whispered in his ear, snuggling against him in bed.
"Thanks, Julia. I-"
"You lay a hand on her and I will have Chess reenact that memory card. Understand?"
"Harsh," He sighed.
"I'm being 100% honest with you, Jay."
"Understood." He replied. "Hands off."
