I comfort Casey while she cries gentle tears of relief. It is good to be reunited with Toby.
The Officer approaches, “You know, you’re one very lucky reanimate Kirk; to have friends like Casey and Toby look out for you the way they do – that’s real special,” he says, patting Casey’s shoulder.
Casey wipes her face and composes herself, “I’m worried about Jess,” she says. “Yeah, so are we…I’m worried – period,” says The Officer, resting his back against the wall. His knees buckle and he slowly slides downward until he reaches a sitting position, he flops his head forward and rests it in his hands. The weight of his recent experience and newfound knowledge weighs heavy on his broad shoulders – I read tired and weary in his face.
Toby also rests against the wall; fatigue mingles with distress in his face. Blood speckles spatter his shirt like an intentional pattern rather than the result of a reanimate rampage. When he talks, his voice is flat, without any emotion I can read, “I got a text from Jess about fifteen minutes before the Doctor reanimated, it just said ‘Sorry.’ I’ve heard nothing from her since,” he says, staring blankly at the wall in front of him.
"Sorry – for what?" asks Casey.
"Dunno," answers Toby.
"Probably for betraying you guys in some way," says The Officer, rising from the floor and tussling his hair, like he's trying to shake away his tiredness. "That's not what Associate Bradbury thinks," says Casey. "Associate what? Who?" asks The Officer. Casey smiles, "Oh yeah, you're a newbie – you got a lot to learn about this freaked out new world," says Casey. The Officer smiles, “Hell – I’m still trying to figure out life in the real world, never mind this paranormal one I’ve been hauled into.”
“I really don’t think Jess would betray us,” says Toby, I hear a rising energy in his voice – he’s ready to defend our mutual friend.
The Officer shakes his head, “Get real Toby, it’s a possibility. I’ve been keeping a close eye on Jess ever since I was assigned her case. That kid has a real fanatical personality; her zeal for all things zombie and reanimate is really extreme, which can often lead to irrational behavior,” he says, with a tone that seems to speak from experience. “But, you know, it was studying her social media sights that helped give me the insight to discover the Doc,” he looks at me, “You’re lucky Kirk, I was too busy dealing with the Doc and his aftermath – I didn’t give you a second thought,” he says, giving me a thumbs up.
Casey slaps the wall, “I knew it, kinda suspected you were a responsive; I’d get really edgy when we were together, always thought you were minutes away from being on to Kirk. I guess all things happen for a reason – Jess used to say that.” I see Casey take on a look of reflection, thinking; which flicks quickly into one of control, “Look you guys, The Association are on Jess’s case…” The Officer interrupts, “Who, or what is this Association?” he asks, with irritation in his voice. Casey takes a breath, “Let’s go down to the basement, I’ll introduce you to one of the members – and there’s something below the basement that you guys need to see.”
……
The dull glow from the flashlight gives Jenna a reanimate look; her face pale, eyes red and puffy from tears. Associate Bradbury kneels in front of her, offering comforting words – until she sees The Officer and shoots to her feet, “What the f…” The Officer throws his hand up and hollers, “No foul language Ms Associate, not in front of the kids.” She shoots Casey a glance, laced with a questioning anger, “What’s going on here, you got the law involved?”
“No – the law involved himself, and I think you guys need a law man in the know, so to speak,” he says, giving her a friendly wink. I read a look of relief flood Associate Bradbury’s face, “Ok, great, hmmm, yes, I get it,” she says, with a kind of unsure ramble. “It’s, just that Jenna here, she’s pretty upset, is imagining all kinds of silly stuff from what she overheard us saying while she was tied up back there,” says Associate Bradbury, giving us all a wide eyed glance that says – ‘be cautious.’
