Deadland

Chapter 106- Belt Buckle

"But-" Judith tries, cutting herself off. 

"Hey, uh," The man starts, leaning against a skinny tree. "I dabbled in the culinary arts, uh, once upon a time ago and, uh-" 

"Luke." One of the women interjects. She's got dark skin and short, black hair. She's wearing a green short-sleeve overcoat and is standing next to another woman, one who looks exactly like her just wearing different clothes and who has longer hair. 

"...you know, with a little bit of help, I can help whip this buck into a mighty fine osso buco." Luke says. 

"Stew." Eugene adds, glaring at him. "We make stew. More mileage for the masses." 

"There are more of you?" The non-insured woman asks. She's very pretty and she's got long, wavy brown hair and big lips. She's wearing a blue flannel and is standing protectively next to the injured woman. 

"Way more, with walls and-" 

"Judith." 

"Jude." 

"Dude." 

Eugene, Laura, and I all interrupt her. They bring their attention to her but I can't pull my eyes away from the group. There could be more of them, they could pull a machine gun on us, the possibilities at this point are endless. 

It's quiet for a moment before the woman with short hair says "Incoming!" 

That finally causes me to lose my eye contact with the woman with brown, wavy hair and bring it to the approaching Walkers. 

Without wasting a second, Eugene and I approach the Walkers. He uses his knife to plunge it into the Walker's heads while I use my whip and slice their faces in half. 

The woman with the brown, wavy hair says "There's more on the way. We gotta get outta' here."

"They need food and water and medicine." Judith says to Aaron. "If they don't go, I don't go." 

"Goddamn it." I whisper to myself as my eyes lock onto the fast-approaching herd of Walkers. Eugene and I slowly scoot backward, trying not to make too much noise to make them come for us faster.

"Come on." Aaron finally says, allowing the group of us to run off through the woods, making sure to stay behind the group.

A little while later, we finally made it to Alexandria. We tied burlap sacks around their heads so that they didn't know where they were going,  just in case. The injured woman is lying in our cart with the horses pulling it. Laura and Judith sit up there as well.

"Again, I feel the need to remind you that what we are doin' is in direct and flagrant violation of the current security protocols." Eugene says. 

I roll my eyes, "Eugene." I groan, pulling the burlap sack off of the girl with short, black hair's head. 

"Yeah, we know." Rosita adds, helping me pull off the sacks of the rest of the group.

"Come on." Rosita says, walking to the gates. 

The group hesitates at the gates for a moment. The two girls who look alike do sign language to each other before the girl with shorter hair says, "Can't be worse than Jones Springs." 

"Just like Jones Springs couldn't be worse than Coalport." The long-haired girl says. 

"Oh god," Luke scoffs. "Coalport was a fossilized city of shit." 

I quickly make a mental note of Jone Springs and Coalport, those communities may be important.

Judith smiles and approaches the woman with long hair, "You'll be safe here. I promise." She says, offering her hand to the woman.