S8E01: Part 2
10K POV
When TJ and Charlie had gotten home that morning 10K noticed Bailey was already gone. It was her day off at the supply and storage building and he had no idea where she would have gone. He let out a huff and ran his hand through his hair as the kids got dressed. How was he supposed to talk to her and make everything better if she was avoiding him? He took another deep breath and let it go for now. It wasn't like she could stay away forever, with two kids she'd be home sooner or later. Considering that now he had both kids to watch himself he knew he'd have to keep them occupied or they'd go stir crazy.
He had promised TJ he'd take him out for target practice if he'd been good and TJ had even tugged Ted by the hand to tell Tommy he'd been a good boy the whole night in case his Pa didn't believe him. He'd gotten a chuckle out of that before he'd thanked Ted and brought the kids home for breakfast.
10K opened a cabinet under the sink and took out their bucket of recyclables that he kept for TJ to practice on. He also grabbed a plastic baggie with some thick sticks of colored sidewalk chalk so Charlie would have something to do too.
When the kids were dressed and fed he brought them to the edge of the Memorial Wall. He set the cans up on a nearby bench in the courtyard while Charlie started to doodle on the concrete and TJ took his sling from his back pocket.
"Remember what I told you before TJ." He began as he walked over to his boy and started to draw lines in the dirt with the toe of his boot. "Inhale when you pull back and exhale when you release."
"And watch the target not the pebble." He added.
Tommy smiled, "Yep, eyes on target."
He'd started TJ off with small pebbles knowing if he started with gears he was more likely to hurt himself and someone else while he got the hang of it. Tommy remembered when he did this with 5K. He'd started with gears then but 5K had also been older then TJ by a few years when they'd met. And he hadn't had the luxury of living someplace as safe as Altura.
TJ moved to stand on the closest line that Tommy had drawn as he lifted his sling and lined up his shot. Tommy quickly looked over his shoulder to make sure Charlie was doing alright. She was, crouched down and coloring with a smile on her face as she sang some silly song she'd made up to herself. Then there was a ping and he turned back to see TJ had hit one of the cans leaving a small dent in the side of it.
"Good job." He'd applauded tapping TJ's shoulder as his son got another pebble. The morning passed like that for a good hour or two. When TJ had hit all the cans at least three or four times 10K had him move back to the next line in the dirt as he practiced hitting them from further away. Tommy left his side a few times when Charlie would call him to show off a picture she'd made. One had been a flower, another one was a stick person version of their family, another one was a rainbow. Some were just little swirls and zig zags but she liked showing them off all the same. Tommy kissed her head before going back to TJ who had moved back another line.
"I'm getting better Pa." he said proudly before pulling the rubber band back and making his next shot on the first try.
"You're getting a lot better." Tommy replied proudly, stuffing his hand and stump in his pockets.
"Pa. . ." TJ began as he fished around in his pocket for another rock, "When can I go with you on a run?"
The question surprised Tommy and he hesitated to answer while TJ found a pebble and played with it in his hand instead of taking his aim. Meanwhile 10K's mind seemed to be flashing through several thoughts at once. He knew TJ had been outside the walls of Altura before, he and Bailey had taken their children on trips to the lake and to Heartland to visit Addy several times. It wasn't like they'd kept them cooped up at home. He also knew there weren't many zombies – the proof was in his slower count these past several years - so it wasn't like taking TJ out for a supply run would be dangerous. But still something churned in his gut at the idea of TJ going out there, of a Z coming out of nowhere and even having a chance to hurt his boy. Maybe it was the thought that if TJ was armed with his slingshot he wouldn't run. Even when they took the kids on trips they made sure to tell them that if Momma or Papa said run and hide they'd listen. But if TJ thought he could protect himself he'd stay in the path of danger.
"Maybe when you're older TJ." Tommy finally replied. Not only would he feel better if TJ was ten or eleven when he'd take him out with the convoy but it would also give Tommy a few years to warm up to the idea.
"But Pa," TJ began as he stood up and turned to him, "I'd be careful. Really, really careful. And I could help you if there were zombies –"
"You know the rules TJ. When we take you and your sister out there you run from the Z's. You promised me and your mother. You promised you'd do what we told you to do and run and hide with Charlie." He said crouching down to be face to face with him.
"But I don't have to hide! I can fight them! Like with the cans I –"
"A moving target is different TJ. It's very different and you're not ready. You're still too young." He replied his voice getting sterner as TJ became more insistent.
Then he stomped his foot and threw down his sling shouting, "No!"
"TJ!" Tommy shouted after him as he ran off. He couldn't just run after him, so he grabbed the slingshot off the ground and hustled over to where Charlie was as she watched TJ go.
"Where's TJ going?" she asked having heard her brother shout.
"Clean up your chalk Peanut, we've got to go after him."
Charlie did what he asked and put her chalk away in the little plastic baggie and took the handles in one hand as she grabbed her father's hand with her other.
"Is TJ in trouble?" she asked as they walked in the direction he'd gone.
"No." Tommy replied, "Not yet."
«»
He hadn't been worried about where TJ had gone. He didn't check the playground or around their apartment. If TJ wanted to be alone Tommy knew the one place he'd be. It was in a quiet field that ran along the edge of Altura, there were a few small trees and even from far away Tommy could spot the figure sitting in the branches of one. When he'd been a kid he'd loved climbing trees and when he'd get bullied in school he'd go home and sit in one for hours until his mom called him in for dinner. TJ was so like him it hurt sometimes, right now especially. Because Tommy knew what was going through his head, he wanted to be useful, like when Tommy would ask his Pa if he could drive around with him in his ranger jeep. He wasn't allowed for a long time, mainly because a lot of his father's guns were locked in that vehicle. His mom hadn't wanted him around them until he was old enough to understand the responsibility that came with carrying one.
It made it harder that he knew what TJ was feeling but now he also knew what his parents had been feeling in moments like that. Moments where you felt like you had let your child down but in the end knew it was for their own good. It was what made parenting so hard. Tommy wanted to give his kids everything, he wanted them to be happy. But sometimes you had to be tough and even if they hated and resented you for it you had to do what you knew was right. Like a more extreme version of not letting them eat cookies and ice cream for dinner, you knew that's what would make them happy but you never let your kids do it. There was a reason children weren't allowed to make so many decisions for themselves, otherwise every meal would be some kind of sugary dessert.
As they got closer to the tree TJ was in Charlie stopped to pick some little purple flowers that were growing in the grass. It left Tommy to talk to TJ alone which he knew worked out better, he didn't want his son to think he was getting scolded in front of his sister, it would only embarrass him.
"TJ get down here." He called as he walked over but his son ignored him, "TJ get out of the tree. I mean it. . . . . . . Thomas!" he called and saw him flinch but he didn't move other than that. He sighed and took some deep breaths to calm down, yelling wouldn't get through to TJ, it would only make him shut down.
Tommy stopped walking when he got to the tree and leaned against the thin trunk as he looked up at TJ. He got the feeling his son was expecting more shouting so he let a quiet moment pass before he spoke.
"I remember when I taught you how to climb this tree." Tommy began. "You were five. Charlie was almost two and you were playing loudly so I brought you outside so your mom could put her down for her nap." He chuckled looking at the trunk, "You were still too short to reach the lowest branch so I had to pick you up."
TJ was quiet for a minute before he muttered, "I jumped this time."
Tommy smirked, "Yeah. You've gotten taller since then." He paused, "When I was your age I liked to climb trees too."
TJ didn't answer and Tommy sighed taking a quick peek on Charlie to make sure she was okay before he tried to come up with something he could say to get TJ to open up, just enough so he could talk to him in a way he'd understand.
"I used to teach another little boy how to use a slingshot." He said knowing he was risking digging up some painful memories and opening some old wounds. But if it had any chance of making TJ feel better he'd make that sacrifice and so far it had caught TJ's attention.
He was looking over his shoulder and down at his Pa but 10K couldn't seem to take his eyes off the grass at his feet.
"It was Aunt Red's little brother, his name was 5K."
"Like you." TJ spoke up and Tommy nodded, "Where is he?"
He took a deep breath, "He's gone TJ."
"Oh." He replied his voice quieter now. TJ understood about death, more than Tommy ever wanted his seven year old to. But in the world they lived in it was inevitable, well. . . he supposed it was inevitable in the Pre-Z world too. He knew he didn't have to worry about losing TJ the way he'd lost 5K, cliffs were hard to come by these days. But there had been another time when he thought he'd failed 5K that still applied to the fear he had with TJ.
"He was with me when a horde attacked." He began already feeling a tightening in his chest, "There were so many zombies, we had some pipes and machinery keeping most of them away but. . . they still reached their hands out trying to grab us. When a Z brushes it's fingers against your skin and you know you're so close to it grabbing you and never letting go –" he shook his head trying to keep himself from shuddering at the thought, "I was scared."
"But. . . " TJ piped up, "Pa you never get scared."
He nodded and looked up at his boy, "Yes I do." He admitted, "I was scared that I wouldn't be able to fight off the zombies and 5K would die because I couldn't do enough. When I turned around with my knife in my hand trying to stop one Z at a time and realized 5K wasn't there anymore. . . that's the fear I have when I think about a zombie trying to get you."
TJ kept looking at him from over his shoulder immersed in his story and what his Pa was telling him.
"TJ, I get scared every day that I might make a mistake like that and you end up hurt because of it. . . Or worse." He swallowed trying to get the tremble out of his voice, "I can't let something like that happen to you. I can't risk it. I'm not strong enough."
TJ turned on his perch and unfolded his legs so they weren't bend up against his chest anymore and now they dangled from the branch. "But Pa you're like Superman. . . or Batman. You wear a lot of black like him."
Tommy wanted to laugh at that but he couldn't. He knew TJ looked up to him like that, it was the way he'd looked up to his own father. And he hated that he had to shatter that image, but if it made TJ realize and understand the situation better than he had no choice. "I'm not a superhero TJ, I'm human. And. . . I've had to give mercy to a lot of people I care about and I can't do that to my child. To you or your sister. So I need you to understand that. . . I just want more time to teach you so I'll know you'll be safe when I do take you on a run with me."
It was a lot to put on a child's shoulders but TJ was getting older now and they had to start exposing him to reality, no matter how much they wanted to preserve his childhood innocence. But TJ surprised him and smiled at him. Then he hopped down off the branch and landed on his feet in front of him.
"Don't worry Pa, I'm gonna get big and strong and brave like you and you'll never have to worry."
He smiled down at his son then he realized one of his knees was bleeding a bit just under where his shorts ended, "You get hurt on the climb bud?"
TJ looked down at his knee, "Yeah, when I jumped to grab the branch my leg hit the tree trunk."
"Come on." Tommy waved him as he started stepping back, "We'll go to the infirmary and Aunt Red can patch it up."
He saw TJ open his mouth about to protest so he acted fast, "And I bet she'll give you a sticker when she's done."
TJ's face lit up and without another word he followed his father as he scooped up Charlie and they headed to the infirmary.
«»
He knocked on the door that was slightly ajar wanting to make sure Red wasn't busy with a patient. She called 'come in' and he pushed the door open further as TJ walked in first. He'd left Charlie in the kids waiting room that Red had made a few years ago so she wouldn't get fussy while TJ was getting his knee cleaned up.
"Hey Red, you have a sec? TJ got a scrape from climbing a tree."
"Oh sure." She said smiling at TJ as he pulled himself into a large chair and got comfortable. Red got out some rubbing alcohol to kill any bacteria along with some gauze and medical tape. Regular band aids had been depleted years ago so they had to improvise their own. However, Red had saved some of the more colorful medical tape for the kids when she'd run out of the band aids with characters on them.
"Sorry TJ this might sting a little." Red warned him as he held out his leg straight and she dabbed the rubbing alcohol over the harsh red lines.
"It's not that bad." He said not even flinching as she worked and he turned to 10K, "See Pa, I'm tough."
Tommy smiled at him appreciating the fact that TJ was trying to reassure him so he wouldn't have to be afraid. Red quickly moved on to placing some gauze over it then she let TJ pick what color tape he wanted – he picked the orange one.
"Do I get a sticker?" TJ asked when Red was done and the question made her chuckle.
"Well, I'm out of stickers. But I do have. . . " she trailed off as she turned to her counter and grabbed a plastic bucket. When she held it out for TJ his eyes got big and bright. Inside was a variety of small toys, from little racecars to mini slinkies, there were tiny yo-yo's and small four packs of crayons, others were just small rubber animals in crazy colors like a zebra with green stripes and a purple tiger. TJ reached in and started looking through all the little trinkets and toys until he pulled out a blue racecar.
"I save these for my tough patients." Red told him with a smile.
Then he smiled at 10K and asked, "Did you get to pick out a toy after losing your hand Pa?"
"No, TJ." He chuckled, "I didn't get a toy."
Red quirked her eyebrow and turned the bucket toward him, "Do you want to pick a toy too 10K?"
He gave her a look before reaching in and taking one of the slinkies, he figured he'd give it to Charlie so she wouldn't feel bad about TJ getting something.
Bailey POV
When she got home Tommy and the kids weren't there. Instead of using the time to clean up or do laundry or some other chore Bailey took the time to let her mind wander as she pulled out her old notebook and started doodling in the margins. She knew she only had a handful of pages left in the book and something inside her felt bittersweet that soon she'd have to retire the object that had been with her and Tommy through so much. As she started thinking like that her eyes wandered around the room looking at the pictures they had hung up. Little Tommy fishing, his blue ribbons, their children's ultrasound pictures, their lives showcased along the walls as they grew up. Bailey looked back down at her notebook and tapped the eraser end of her pencil on the page as she contemplated. Then she turned to one of the blank pages she had left and started writing. She remembered when Addy used to use her camera to record things day by day so that in the future there would be a record of what they had gone through, a reminder they'd left behind. So across the top of the new page she wrote the heading: fracking apocalypse.
«»
Bailey was nearly out of lead in her mechanical pencil when Tommy walked through the door with the kids. TJ had some bright orange medical tape across a gauze pad on his knee that immediately drew her attention as she got out of her chair and knelt down to his level.
"TJ what happened?" she asked, her motherly instincts kicking in.
"I got a blue racecar!" he said excited, answering Bailey's question while also not answering it at the same time.
"He scraped his knee climbing a tree." Tommy explained as TJ went to go play with his new racecar, building a track for it out of his legos. Charlie ran over to help him and he started passing her blocks and telling her where to put them. With the kids distracted Bailey tugged Tommy's sleeve and tilted her head toward their room knowing her expression conveyed that they needed to talk.
Once the door was shut Bailey pressed her back to it while Tommy walked further into the room running his hand through his hair making one side of it even messier which made her smile.
"Tommy about last night –"
"I've been thinking about it and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad –"
"No, Tommy I'm not looking for an apology." She interrupted his interruption stepping forward and resting her hands on his stomach, "I should have stopped pushing it when you first said no. And I didn't want you to think you'd done something wrong, I didn't feel bad –"
"Bailey I saw how you looked when you walked out. The rejection hurt you."
She paused before giving a small chuckle, "You know if one of us was more selfish the other could actually get out everything they're trying to say."
He looked at his shoes as he chuckled too. "I guess we're too alike in that way."
She kept smiling as she dropped her hands and slid them into her back pockets to keep from nervously playing with her fingers. "What hurt was I didn't understand why you were rejecting me. Just when I think I know you inside and out, I'm thrown for a loop."
He sighed and looked up at her, "You do know me. Better than anyone."
"Then why were you keeping something from me?" she asked and his eyebrows creased together in confusion, "Why wouldn't you tell me about Murphy taking your blood?"
"How did you find ou-"
"It doesn't matter how, I know." She said in a tone that wasn't angry but it wasn't neutral either, "Why would you lie to me for four years?"
He looked away, licked his lip and exhaled a deep breath, "If I thought you needed to know I would have told you." He said looking back at her, "At first Charlotte was the reason I didn't say anything. You'd just gone through a terrible birth, she was a preemie and had so many medical issues and that was all my fault."
"Tommy –"
"It was. Don't tell me it wasn't. You went into early labor because of the stress I put you through, the last thing I wanted was to give you more stress by worrying you about whatever Murphy was scheming."
She hesitated, taking in what he'd just said. Now it could have also been partially all the reminiscing she'd been doing as she'd written earlier but she couldn't help but remember every time Tommy had devoted himself to her, her safety, her wellbeing. Making sure she never went hungry when they were out on the road, taking guard shifts so she could get a full night's sleep. And now he was doing all that for their children too.
"I understand why you didn't say anything. But. . . next time, can you not wait four years for me to find out? I thought we were a team." She said with the corner of her mouth turning up.
"Can there just not be a next time?" he asked and that time she did let a chuckle out.
She shrugged, "With Murphy who knows."
"Warren would." He replied, "She's the only other one who knew about it. But every trip to Limbo we couldn't find anything incriminating."
She shook her head thinking of what Murphy could do if left to his own devices and she was glad Warren was checking in on him unexpectedly in case their worries were true.
"You're not mad at me?" Tommy finally asked with his hand and stump in his pockets and she looked back up at him.
"I was." She admitted, "But when I calmed down I realized in the grand scheme of things, it's more Murphy's fault this time than yours." She smirked and nudged his foot with hers, "You're lucky it's the apocalypse and standards have been lowered."
He chuckled and looked at her and her smile seemed to reassure him. He took a step closer making her step back toward the door and he shrugged; it was the same awkward kind of behavior he showed when he tried to initiate flirting.
"You know. . . we just had a fight." He said like he was choosing his words carefully, "We should probably make up, you know, the married way?" he said as he leaned closer to her and she brought her hands to cup his face as she leaned in and they kissed. Tommy's hand wove around her back and pulled her into him as he took another step forward bringing their bodies flush together with not a millimeter between them. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip when the door opened behind her and hit her back. Through the crack they heard TJ call for them.
"Mom, Pa!"
"Come see the race track!" Charlie squealed happily.
Bailey sighed, "We'll be there in a minute." And the door closed behind her and she looked at Tommy as he pulled away clearly disappointed, "You should have taken advantage of them being at Ted and Laura's last night."
He blushed before he responded, "Maybe I'll just come see you after the supply building closes tomorrow. Then we can be as loud as we want."
"No way." She said shaking her head, "We almost got caught the last time we did that."
Warren POV
She was on her way to Limbo for another surprise inspection. She'd parked the vehicle she'd gotten from Altura several blocks down the road and walked the rest of the way so Murphy would be more unsuspecting. He knew she made these trips at least once every two months, though she liked to change when she showed up. Sometimes she even pulled a good old fashioned stake out just to observe Limbo from the outside. Usually baby boy went with her but he had just gotten back from a supply run and she didn't want to pull him away from his time with his family, she knew how much he treasured that. And besides, the last time 10K had come with her things with Murphy had gotten a little. . . heated.
Limbo was just as busy as it usually was, games and people of all kinds scattered around the red lit room as they wove their way through drunken men and partially dressed blend girls. They found Murphy at the bar passing out drinks and laughing like he was having the time of his life. When he caught sight of them his smile fell and he threw back what was left in his own glass before grabbing a bottle from behind him and started refilling it.
"Oh is it that time of the month again?" he asked as Warren took a seat and rested her arms on the bar while 10K stayed standing and leaned his left elbow on the table.
"I'm surprised you're actually here this time." Warren replied, "Half the time you're out doing God knows what when we stop by."
Murphy scoffed and put the bottle back before looking at them, "Why do you say that like I'm squirreling away bizkits or plotting some big scheme?"
"Because you usually are." 10K replied, his tone accusatory.
Murphy rolled his eyes, "Oh a guy sets up a new world order one time and suddenly no one trusts him anymore." He scoffed, "Can't a man have a hobby? Maybe I've taken up fishing. Or hunting."
"You? Hunting?" 10K asked with a quirked brow before he laughed, "Oh that's something I've got to see. Oh, but I don't want to get shot. I know! I'll stand between you and whatever you're aiming at!" he laughed.
Murphy glared at him, "Ha. Ha. Laugh it up Stump Boy."
"Where is it you sneak off to when you're not here?" Warren asked bringing them back to the issue at hand. He did nothing but stare at her for a long time not saying anything. Then he sighed and rested his drink down.
"I keep some research off site." He admitted, "Just in case something were to go awry I'd have a back up." Both Warren and 10K looked at him suspiciously, "Come on, Warren you know that if word got out about a cure people would go nuts. And I'm sure you want something like that to fall into the 'right hands'." He said making air quotes with his fingers.
Neither one of them could deny that logic. The zombie cure in the wrong hands was like when Estes tried to get control of the lithium because whoever controlled the bizkits controlled the Talkers and whoever controlled the Talkers controlled Newmerica. And they did not need something like that happening again.
"And which place are you keeping my blood?" 10K asked clearly not wanting his D.N.A. getting into someone else's hands either.
Murphy scoffed and picked up his drink again taking a sip before placing it back on the bar. "Please, like I'm going to tell you that. Knowing you you'd go off and try to take it back and no matter how big a hissy fit you throw it doesn't change the fact that I need it."
10K glared at him and Murphy only smirked from over the rim of his glass. "But you could always earn it back." He offered, "I could always use a sniper to keep away the riff raff."
"I'm not going to kill people at your beck and call again."
"Oh come on, you haven't killed anyone in months –"
"That's a positive thing!"
"Alright!" Warren said holding a hand up between them trying to diffuse the tension. "Murphy you know there's not a snowballs chance in hell that 10K is ever going to work for you again."
"Yeah, yeah. It was a long shot anyway, he'd have to get approval from the ol' ball-and-chain." He took another sip from his drink, "Although, two kids later and it looks like you two still have the heat huh?"
10K's eyebrows pulled together in confusion and Murphy tapped his own neck making 10K quickly grab the collar of his jacket and pull it up higher to hide the hickey Bailey had given him the night before he'd left with Warren on this trip. He was glad for Limbo's red lighting then, it would probably hide the furious blush that was taking over his face.
"Can you just shut up and focus?" Warren snapped at the red man, "How much progress have you made on the cure?"
He sighed looking like he was thinking over the past two months, "Well, I've successfully duplicated the Gene 47 that Sun Mei had found but I haven't cracked how to get it to cooperatively merge with the immunity that was dormant in sniper boy's blood –"
"You said you were using it as a cross reference." Warren interrupted him.
"Oh, yeah. I lied." Murphy smirked. "See my Gene 47 attacks the zombie virus cells but thanks to Zona my immunity was wiped away. But by combining 10K's former blend immunity with my Gene should produce a cure. But you also want to help Talkers so I need more time to work with my. . . samples, to make that serum."
"What else in my blood could possibly help you with that?" 10K demanded.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he smirked, "Though thankfully it does save time that I was able to get the blood directly from you. If I had gone with my original idea of taking your D.N.A. from your little Squirt there would have been a lot more –"
The glass in Murphy's hand crashed to the floor and shattered as 10K lunged across the bar, grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him across the table. Warren had to jump up between the two and yank them apart before 10K's one good hand could get a good enough grip.
"You touch him or any one of my family and I swear I'll –"
"Baby boy calm down." She said getting in front of him and putting her back to the bar to act as a physical barrier to keep 10K away.
"Geez what is this unnatural obsession you have with protecting and spending time with your children?" Murphy asked as he caught his breath, fixed his hair and straightened his tie.
Warren still struggled to hold 10K as she turned and looked at Murphy over her shoulder, "This isn't over." She said hinting that she'd be back for another chat soon.
"Of course not." Murphy grumbled getting another glass, looking at her as he tapped the side of his nose, "We're connected."
Warren turned back to 10K and started pushing him away and back toward the door, "Let's go. Come on."
Yeah, it would go a lot smoother this time given that 10K wasn't with her, she thought to herself as she made her way to the door and let herself in. Even in the middle of the day Limbo was as busy as a Saturday night in a Pre-Z club. It seemed time didn't matter, morning, noon and night; humans, Talkers and blends all wanted a reprieve from the stress of day to day life. Even with improved circumstances there would always be those who were looking to drink to forget and others who'd learned how fleeting life could be and wanted to party every minute away.
As Warren looked around she noticed Murphy wasn't the one behind the bar this time, now it was Wesson. He was serving drinks to a crowd at the bar and once he finished they moved away and headed to a table to gamble what they had. Warren took the chance to step up and instead of her usual pattern of asking for Murphy and interrogating him, this time she ordered a drink.
"Coming right up." Wesson said as he began to prepare it with a smile. Warren always wondered if he really was as happy as he seemed or if it was something Murphy had made him appear to be, some sort of side effect from the bite. She had to admit sometimes Wesson's expressions and responses seemed a tad robotic. Which was why she was hoping changing up her routine would throw him off enough to maybe give her something to work with.
When he finished her drink and slid the glass across the bar to her she paid her bullets and raised her glass to him with a smile before taking a sip. She couldn't deny – Limbo was the place to be if you wanted a good cocktail. The Pale Horseman Tavern in Altura was pretty good too but Warren suspected Murphy had struck some kind of deal with the Brewers so he could get the top notch stuff. Maybe he'd offered more bizkits per delivery for them.
After her sip she set the glass down and watched Wesson as he wiped down the bar with his dishtowel keeping his workspace tidy.
"I'm guessing Murphy isn't here." She said drawing his attention and he stopped his work to look at her hesitantly. She shrugged, "Given that you're manning the bar instead of him."
He looked relived as he smiled and nodded at her as he continued working. "Mr. Murphy is a busy man but he does like to work on the front lines and see his customers."
"Mmm he does seem like a people person." She replied still smiling, especially when those people worship him, she thought to herself taking another sip of her drink.
"Oh he is." Wesson replied with his eyes still on his work and a smile still on his face, "Between his customers, his work staff, and all the correspondence he and the doctor have been getting I'm surprised he has time to sleep."
Warren hid her questions and maintained her calm demeanor not wanting to tip Wesson off that he'd just let something slip – a tip she'd picked up from Bailey. The doctor? She wondered, what doctor? Sun Mei and Merch were both dead, Red would never work for Murphy and Hastings was busy between teaching all the outpost doctors and interns. As her mind tried to come up with an answer she took another drink from her glass.
"Correspondence?" she asked and Wesson stopped wiping the table and froze, "Like mail? I didn't know Newmerica had a mail carrier system yet." She chuckled in an attempt to keep the conversation light and casual, "I bet Murphy's getting piles of fan mail though right?"
Wesson chuckled with her and visibly relaxed, "No, no, mostly letters to the Brewers, inquires about the cure - though I'm sure there must be a fan letter or two –"
"People are asking him about the cure?" she asked remembering the last time she'd been there and Murphy mentioned how he didn't want word to get out about the cure. He thought it might bring trouble to his bar. She scoffed, she should have known if any trouble was going to start Murphy would be the one to start it.
"Uhh. . ." Wesson stuttered knowing he'd spilled the beans and this time Warren just hadn't been able to keep up the act. She was no Bailey.
"Wesson." Warren said in a tone like a mother trying to get their child to tell the truth. He was visibly starting to panic as he moved along the bar and tried to get to the door behind it. But Warren was quicker and made it to the end of the long table blocking his escape route.
"Who's been asking Murphy about the cure?" she asked stepping forward and backing him up against the wall. He continued to stutter half excuses but she didn't let up, "Why didn't Murphy tell us he had a vaccine? How long ago did he finish it?"
"Miss Warren, I can't tell you. Mr. Murphy would be very upset if I –"
But she cut him off not giving a damn about Murphy's feelings at this point. She grabbed his collar in anger but restrained herself from doing anything else. "I've never been a big fan of blends – you know that from our history – but you do seem like a good guy to me Wesson, with a good soul. I don't want to hurt you but you know I will hurt you." She explained calmly though he was clearly getting nervous, "Tell me what you know."
"Miss Warren please, I -I don't even know much about Mr. Murphy's dealings with the Black Market. All I know is that's where he's gone –"
"The Black Market?" she asked and Wesson nodded quickly. "Is Murphy trying to sell the cure?"
"I -I. . . I know Mr. Murphy is a business man, you can draw your own conclusions. But I did see five blends leave with Dr. Kurian earlier –"
"Kurian!" Warren said in shock and Wesson shut up. She let go of his collar and took a step back. If Kurian was a part of this then things were worse than she thought. And if the Black Market was involved she couldn't just go after Murphy alone. She'd need George, but first she was going to tear Murphy's office apart just to make sure there weren't any other secrets he was hiding.
Murphy POV
Kurian had left earlier that morning and once noon had come and gone Murphy had decided to go after the bodyless wonder on his own. If the doctor was trying to double cross him he wanted to make sure he was there to interrupt any master plans. He didn't want to end up like the last person Kurian had worked for. He shuddered at the memory of La Reina and her Zeros and what Kurian had done to them. Even with a huge cartel on her side it hadn't been enough to stop Kurian from scheming and Murphy made sure to learn from her mistakes. He pulled up to the warehouse where he'd told Warren he'd been storing back up tests. All a lie really, actually, this was where he'd been meeting potential buyers for his HZN1 cure. It wasn't as catchy a name as 'Murphy's Miracle Vaccine' like he'd called it back in Spokane but after the disaster that was he didn't want anyone to confuse his cure with the blend tonic he'd been marketing then.
He pulled his vehicle up to the warehouse and parked it. Before he got out he looked in the passenger seat at the silver metal briefcase he had. Inside sat the cure humanity had been craving since day one of the outbreak and that was what? Fifteen? Sixteen years ago now? Damn.
He checked the briefcase just to make sure his prize was inside safe and sound. There was black foam inside the metal that cradled each tiny glass bottle. He closed the case and engaged the lock. There were seven small rings that had letters imprinted on them to spell out the password he'd set. This case had been the best thing he'd ever bought off the Black Market, if anyone tried to open it without having the password the interior would self destruct leaving nothing but ash within, the cure gone in a puff of smoke. Only he knew the password, and not even Kurian knew about the high tech briefcase. It not only protected the cure but it protected Murphy. Any thief who held a gun to his head would need him alive if they wanted the cure, and they'd have to make it worth his while or he'd never tell them a thing. It was the perfect setup he thought as he smirked to himself, took the briefcase by the handle and headed inside.
It was strangely quiet, not a snarling Z for miles, not a car and no voices echoing off the warehouse's concrete walls. It was suspicious, he thought as he opened the side door and popped inside.
He froze dead in his tracks at the scene in front of him.
The five blends he'd sent with Kurian were lying dead with bullet holes in their heads. And in the center of it all was a metal rod broken at one end leaving it sharp and jagged. Through that end sat the head of Dr. Kurian, mercied. His blood was dripping down the rod from the fresh wound in his neck and more blood was dripping between his eyes from where the rod was sticking out of the top of his head.
Well this deal went south, Murphy thought to himself and muttered, "Greedy bastards."
He took a quick look around to make sure whoever had met the doctor wasn't there anymore. Maybe they'd been just an insulted as Murphy had been that they weren't worthy enough to deal with their top man. He hurried back out to his vehicle, got in and drove off. But it wasn't Limbo he headed for, it was Altura.
10K POV
Bailey had left to go get dinner to-go from the dining hall and Charlie had gone with her. TJ had moved his lego racetrack to his room to keep playing with his new car while 10K took a shower. When he got out he grabbed the clean shirt and pants he'd left folded by the sink. Just as he was buckling his belt – which still took some time with just one hand – he heard a slam like a door closing. There was no noise after that which was odd, if it had been Bailey coming back he'd hear her getting dinner ready in the kitchen with Charlie. He quickly threw on his prosthetic just in case and headed out to the main room telling himself not to let his paranoia from the apocalypse make him jump to conclusions.
Walking out of the bathroom he found the kitchen empty and the front door closed. TJ's bedroom door was shut too and he could still hear him playing inside. He headed for the only other open door – his room – and looked around.
"Bailey?" he called just before finding the room empty. Then there was the tiniest squeak of hinges before something was slammed into his back sending him to the floor. The intruder hit him a second time, this one to the back of his head making his vision swim and he struggled to pick himself up off the floor. He heard the door close and his heart leapt into his throat thinking of TJ who was now in danger.
Using the adrenaline to get up and go for the dresser 10K dug through the top drawer until he found his handgun. He grabbed it and headed for the door but it had been barricaded by something on the other side. He stood back and kicked it, hard enough for it to fly open and slam into the living room wall. The guy who had attacked him was still there and looked startled at the loud sound but acted quick enough to run at 10K and grab the gun in his hand before he could shoot. His back slammed into the wall as the man tried to wrestle the gun from him and he used his antler to punch the intruder in the side of the head leaving a long red bleeding line down the side of his face.
Now enraged the guy headbutted him and disoriented 10K enough that his grip on the gun loosened and he quickly threw it across the room so the other man wouldn't be able to reach it. Now with his hand free 10K grabbed the man's shirt and turned him so the intruder's back was to the wall as he tried to swing with his prosthetic again. But his strike was blocked as the guy gripped his wrist and spun, twisting 10K's arm behind his back at a painful angle and making him shout in pain as his face was slammed against the wall again. He stomped on the man's foot before freeing his left arm from how it was pinned between his body and the wall and thrust his elbow into his attacker's face making him stumble back. 10K looked quickly around the room and found where the gun had landed on the floor and tried to go for it but the man recovered and tackled him to the ground where they continued to struggle.
Somehow through it all 10K still heard another door open slowly and turned his head to see TJ coming out of his room, probably to see what the noise was.
"TJ GET DOWN!" Tommy shouted and TJ's eyes widened before he dove for cover behind the island in the kitchen. The intruder took the chance to gain the advantage and turn them so 10K was pinned as he took out a knife and brought it down hard. 10K was just barely able to turn his head so the knife cut a deep line into the curve of his shoulder barely missing his neck. 10K bit into the guy's hand making the man let go of the knife and instead started to throw punch after punch to 10K's face in anger. 10K got in a few good punches too knocking the man off him before getting up and trying to grab the knife but a firm grip around his ankle made him fall forward onto his face again. The man pulled him backwards and climbed on top of him before pulling a bit of rope from his pocket and wrapped it around 10K's neck and pulled making him choke and fight for air. His one hand scraped along his neck unable to get a grip on the rope to pull it away.
Meanwhile, TJ stayed crouched and afraid behind the counter as he heard the scuffle but otherwise had no idea what was going on. His wanted to help his Pa, but Pa told him to hide. Curious and worried he peaked around the corner of the island and saw his Pa losing the fight. Shrinking back into his hiding place TJ began to shake, then he noticed up on the kitchen counter by the sink was a knife in the drying rack. It was one of the sharper ones only Momma and Pa were allowed to use. TJ swallowed nervously as he crawled and carefully took the knife in his hand. Then he looked over at the man hurting his Pa and something took over him as he gripped the knife harder.
Black spots were entering 10K's vision and he started to become afraid. Not for himself, but for TJ, in the few seconds it would take him to die and come back a Talker would the man be able to hurt TJ? Or do something worse? Then he heard a grunt and the man yelled in pain.
"Leave my Papa alone!" he heard TJ shout as the pressure from the rope vanished and it fell from his neck. Then he heard TJ shout and as he caught his breath he looked over his shoulder he saw his son crawling away on his back as he retreated back behind the kitchen island. The man had a knife buried in the back of his shoulder and after some struggling pulled it out and went for TJ.
"Why you little brat!" he snarled running for TJ. 10K turned and saw the gun not far away. He crawled across the floor and grabbed it as TJ ran around the island and the man followed him. Lying on his side 10K called for TJ who ran at him and dove onto his stomach as his father rotated so his body was covering his son. As the man rounded the island in the next millisecond 10K raised his gun and started firing shot after shot and didn't stop until the man had fallen back and didn't get up.
He set the gun down as he caught his breath before he shifted again to make sure TJ was okay. He was lying belly down under him with his arms crossed hiding his face.
"TJ? TJ, it's okay." Tommy said trying to reassure him, "He can't hurt you TJ."
Slowly, TJ looked up and saw the man lying down and not moving then he crawled out from under his Pa as 10K rolled onto his side. TJ looked shaken up but he didn't look injured which made 10K feel a flood of relief. TJ moved to sit up on his knees when his eyes went wide again.
"Pa you're hurt." He said, his voice quivering. 10K looked down at where the man had cut him. The cut was about three inches long, barely exposed by the collar of his shirt but it wasn't bleeding too bad though it seemed to worry TJ who had tears in his eyes at seeing his father injured, "You're bleeding."
"TJ I'm alright."
"We need to get you to Aunt Red." He said moving closer and grabbing 10K's shirt like he was going to help him up and take him to the infirmary. But his little hands shook and 10K could tell the adrenaline was wearing off.
"Hey, hey, TJ it's okay." He said moving and pulling his son in for a hug. He rubbed his back as the weight of what had just happened set in for TJ's mind and he started to cry into his father's shirt.
"It's okay. It's okay." 10K kept saying holding his son close. He couldn't help the smile that started to grow on his face as he spoke, "I'm so proud of you TJ. You were so brave."
TJ pulled back to look at his Pa and when he saw him smiling he sniffled and gave a small smile back. 10K kept rubbing his arm since it seemed to help calm him down, then TJ flung himself forward again and hugged his Pa and 10K returned it.
"You did so good TJ." He kept saying, "I'm so proud of you. It's all okay now."
But as he looked over his son's head at the dead man with several bullet holes in his head and his chest he knew he was trying to convince himself as well as TJ.