This Would Be Paradise (Book 2)-A Zombie Novel

Chapter 23

Darren got in on the action and started poking my head as well. They would make terrible nurses.

"Wow, that's really helpful," I muttered as I took my head back. "I got concussed at the apartments we were at."

John's eyes went angry like storm clouds, "And you drove like that?"

"Not like I had a choice and it wasn't that bad. I don't even have a headache anymore."

"Someone do that to you?" Darren asked all business.

I hesitated, "Eh, it's a long story."

"Well you best be tellin' it right now then," John said, his arms crossed.

I quickly explained the events of the last few days to them, both listening patiently.

"So that guy you're with, he shot the traitor?" John asked.

I may have told the story in Roy's favor so that he didn't look as bad.

"Yes and that's why they made him leave. They're too stupid to see that Roy did them a service."

John nodded, "Clearly. And you think mercenaries are after you?"

"Not just me, anyone who is immune- I think," I shrugged. "One of the guys from the apartment had a theory that they were taking people who had been attacked, but never turned. Roy's wife was immune and she was taken."

They both stood silent for a minute digesting all the information I had dumped on them.

"We've seen the markin's, just had no idea where they came from," John said, talking about the mercenary's graffiti left all over the place.

"What happened before that? After we got split up," Darren kept digging.

I sighed, knowing I'd have to recount this to everyone, "I'd rather wait until we're all here so I don't have to tell it a hundred times."

"Fine," Darren said, sounding slightly disappointed.

The rest of the civilians started to emerge from the dining hall once the gunfire and shouting had stopped. They reminded me of hesitant gophers peeking out of their burrows. I wondered how long some of these people had been here for. Some seemed like they hadn't even been outside these walls since they got here, judging from the fear radiating off of them when the alarm sounded.

Ethan had jumped down from his borrowed perch and joined us.

"Find anythin' good on your run, Darren?" Ethan asked causally, as if what he had just been doing was routine.

Darren shrugged, "Not much, just some canned goods and diapers."

I had only seen a couple of infants, but I assumed the little poop machines went through diapers like Zoe went through guys.

By now the others had joined our group.

"Is it all okay now?" Chloe asked.

"Yep, we got 'em all," Ethan said with a smile. "I gotta go return this gun."

John clapped his hands once, "Alright. Let's all meet up at our place in a few minutes and Bailey can finish her story."

"And mine!" Chloe added.

Suddenly I was nervous. All this time, I imagined how I would tell them that I had killed Riley and now I found myself reluctant to share.

Those of us without borrowed weapons walked over to their house, while the rest logged back in their guns. What a pain that would be.