𝙵𝙻𝙴𝚂𝙷 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙱𝙾𝙽𝙴 | 𝚃. 𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙾 𐂃

Chapter 38

"What happened?" Cristine looked back, eyes confused and questioning at the same time. But her father shrugged her worry off and explained. "I couldn't sleep last night and we went out to do some hunting. There's been some boars around this area, but I was clearly too careless during our recreational night out." 

Cristine noted how her father talked in plural form and asked with her brow raised, "we?"

"Troy and I. Saw him brooding near the gates last night… wasn't hard to figure out what kept him up and fuming, so I offered we blow off some steam. He clearly needed it and so did I." Cristine kept her poker face up, wondering if Troy had gone out at all to execute their plan. But from her father's story, she didn't get the idea that he had. So she conversed as nonchalant as she could to not draw any suspicions. 

"That's thoughtful of you daddy," Cristine showed her dimpled smile and rummaged through her medic bag to get out some ointment for the deep cut. "I assume you got this in the process of your recreational hunting?" She cradled his calloused hand and wiped the cut clean with the uttermost gentleness. 

"Well, we managed to track one down. It's been a while since we've had a strong meal for our community gatherings. But there were infected and let's just say they managed to enjoy our spoils before we could cut 'em all down. I only noticed this after we got back in the truck and headed home." 

"What happened to going out in groups of more than two?" Cristine knew her father was usually a stickler to the rules, usually, but from his story it sounded as if he and Troy were out all night. Which meant the Trimbols were gone and with that their last chance to keep the community from fully fracturing. Her father's face contorted and he forced a smile that made her heart ache for the loss of his friend. She didn't know the hurt ran this deep and slightly regretted her harsh words the day before. Just that, not the callout. 

"I needed a distraction and Troy did too. He won't admit it, but he's taken it the hardest. I've known him and Mike since they were little boys. Little rascals both of 'em, but they were close and even had the other's back when they got themselves into mischief."

"When was this?" Cristine was the same age as Mike and Troy. She never knew her father ever visited Broke Jaw Ranch during her childhood. She would've known.

"Remember when you stayed at Lito and Lita's for the summer? After your mother passed, I needed to work on myself. Your grandmother and grandfather offered to look after you during that time. I visited some of my old friends to recuperate." James flexed his fingers repeatedly, cracking his knuckles. "It was a one time thing, but that's when I first met their kids. Told them I would bring you some time." 

"Hm," Cristine hummed and made a turtle face and James pinched her in the cheek for that ugly and unimpressed expression. "We both know how that would have ended if you did. Funny enough, I did meet them… in an apocalypse. And Mike and Troy are both bullheaded idiots." A hearty laugh rumbled through her father's chest and Cristine shrugged, not hiding her opinion on the two childhood friends.

Her expression faltered and her tune softened, almost concerned when she asked, "were you able to distract him with the hunting? He was pretty pissed… and when he gets like that sometimes he uh- he doesn't really think. Which makes no sense, cause he's not dumb." Cristine shook her head finding her worry for Troy utterly ridiculous. She just had this overall bad feeling in her bones since she woke up. So hearing that Troy and her father were out last night lessened that sinking feeling in her gut. The curious glance in the baby blue eyes made her avert her eyes, distracting her focus by rolling the disinfectant between her palms. In doing that, she completely missed the narrowed look of her father, his expression cautious and curious of what she truly wanted to say.

"You're worried about him," James finished and scratched his clean-shaven chin. Cristine neither denied or confirmed his claim. The only thing she did was give him a questioning look that said she rather he answer her question. "I would say he's calmed down. Focused. You don't have to worry Birdie, he might be a bullheaded idiot and a hothead at times, but knows what his priorities and responsibilities are."
"Good. I mean good that hanging out with you helped." Cristine sighed and scratched her forehead before brushing the stray hairs from her forehead. "Guess we'll have to figure out how we'll reorganize the trip back a quarter of our people going out on their own." 

"James! Cristine!" A voice rings out behind them, interrupting the father-daughter conversation. It was Blake and from the grim sound of his hoarse call and sever expression, the news didn't bode well. 

Cristine gaped and shook her head in disbelief.  Horror and shock turned to pity until that eventually morphed into anger. Her body shook, her gut clenched and her mind spiraled left, right and center. Unable to form a coherent thought. Mike, Gretchen, their parents; their Trimbols were murdered in cold blood and their bodies looked worse for wear. Balling her fists until they hurt, she heard a shaky gasp and looked away from the dead family at her sister. Hailey covered her mouth, her face hollowed and sunken by what she saw. Cristine thoughtlessly grabbed her sister by the arm and pulled her into a strong embrace, away from having to look at the horror. 

"Don't look," Cristine touched the back of her sister's shaking head and felt her wet face dip into her shirt. Shoulders quivering, breaths coming out in short intervals and the stuttering cries of Hailey just weighed heavier on Cristine's heart as she whispered again, "don't look." 

"Why threaten us just to still pick us off one by one? Also... he's negotiating with Jake about peace... it doesn't make sense." There were holes in this story, at least those were Cristine's initial thoughts, "the Founding Fathers are Walker's enemies. Maybe he's just been waiting for his chance... but why kill Vernon's family too?" While Cristine tried to rationalize the situation, she concluded that making sense out of the motives of someone out for revenge and slaughter was a waste of time. The Nation killed Charlie, Phil, and now the Trimbols. With that Cristine tightened her arms around Hailey some more before glowering at the four corpses caked in dirt and blood. Walker wanted to weaken them and drive fear. He'd start by plucking the Founding Fathers and their families first, which by extension meant hers too. She wasn't going to let that happen.