Don't Whistle Past the Graveyard

Ch. Fifty-Nine

"Where do you want to look now?" I asked, scuffing my boot through the undisturbed dust on the floor of the cabin.

Shane sighed and scratched at his jaw. He closed his eyes, lips moving silently as he got his thoughts in order then looked at me. "What do you think?"

My eyes widened in what I'm sure was a comical fashion. With an amused smile, I said, "I don't know what to think, Shane. That's why I asked you."

He rolled his eyes at me, but still waited for an actual answer. I sighed, my fingers moving up to where the cut on my neck was still sore. Shane watched without comment, and I said, "I think he's still around."

"Why?"

I shrugged. "Because he's the kind of guy who doesn't like it when things don't go his way."

"You just described everyone in the world, Raleigh," Shane pointed out dryly.

"I think you mean who's left in the world," I muttered and he rolled his eyes again. I snapped, "If you keep doing that, they're going to fall out of your head."

He just laughed, amused in a very small way. I gnawed on my lip for a moment, then said, "Not like everyone. I mean, he really can't handle it. That might be new, but I get the feeling he was like that before everything went to hell. When things go sideways, he doesn't know how to cope. Not like normal people."

"Why does that make you think he's here instead of halfway to Arkansas?"

"What a weird place to pick," I noted. Then said, "Because even if he was already like this, the environment now might have changed how he reacts. Before the end, he might have cut and run. But that doesn't always work now, and you can literally get away with murder. Violence breeds violence and he got a taste for blood. So now that's his go-to reaction."

"He already did that," Shane said tightly. He turned to the door, gesturing for me to go out first.

I waited until he had joined me in the yard, squinting against the brightness of the afternoon sun. Keeping an eye out for any zombies, I continued my explanation. "That's because I gave him an opportunity. I was by myself. I was distracted. We were alone. He couldn't pass it up. But that's not his ultimate goal."

"What is?" Shane asked tersely. We started across the yard, heading back the way we had come.

I waited until we were back in the protective shade of the trees, then shrugged. "Could be a number of things. I don't pretend to understand someone like him. I don't want to understand him. I don't even want to try."

Shane gave me a sideways look, but didn't offer any commentary on that. I kicked at a pile of leaves, the sound magnified in the stillness around us. Shaking my head, I said, "Everything I can come up with just sounds so damn stupid now."

"Try me," Shane encouraged.

My mouth twisted to the side. "Revenge."

"On who?"

"You. Me. Kyle. Lauren. You can take your pick. You could make a case that he's got an ax to grind with all of us." I ducked to avoid a low hanging branch but misjudged and swore when it snagged my hat, taking it right off my head.

"For?" Shane asked, pausing when I did.

I picked up the cap, twisting it around in my hands. "You took his spot calling the shots. He holds me responsible for finding the supply cache and for Cameron's death. Kyle has Lauren. He wanted her."

Shane frowned and I said, "Trust me on that."

Finally, he just nodded an acknowledgement, and we started walking again. I slipped the cap into my pocket, not wanting to bother with it. I sighed, then frowned and took another deep breath through my nose.