Bailey POV
"You've made a real life for yourselves here." Warren said when they'd finished eating.
"Please, have some more." The mother said offering second helpings, well, they were more like third and fourth helpings.
"No, thank you." Warren replied kindly, "I've eaten so much already, my body doesn't know what the hell is going on." She said and Bailey chuckled as Warren turned to her, "We haven't had real food for weeks, we were about to give ourselves up for dead."
"We've all been there." The mom said as Sarah got up and gave Warren another hug.
"We should be going soon." Bailey said, "We still have two more of our group out there, and they'll be worrying." She said remembering the look on 10K's face when she left him.
"All right then, we can pack you some provisions." The father offered kindly.
"I can help you." Sarah said to Bailey as she and her brother began clearing the leftover food from the table. The phrase seemed so foreign to Bailey, leftover food, she hadn't had leftover food in three, maybe four years now. Rationed food she did have but real you-ate-until-you-couldn't-eat-anymore-and-still-had-food-to-spare leftovers was new to her. They packed up the bread and anything else that wouldn't go bad quickly before Sarah insisted on doing Bailey's hair. When she had a fresh French braid Sarah went to go read to her brother and Bailey went to find Warren. She was with Sarah's father who was showing her a map of Colorado.
"All right, from what I've heard, everything west of this line here is a no-go zone." He said marking the map, "And there's more fallout here. . . and over here."
"And I think that's the tunnel where we crashed so that would put my friends somewhere around here." Warren said pointing at the map.
"That's a two day hike, a little less if you go over the mountain."
"Got it." She said folding it up and tucking it away.
"Come back and tell us how it turns out." Sarah asked when they were just about ready to go, "Promise?"
"Promise." Warren said giving the girl her pinkie. Bailey smiled and gave her a hug before picking up the extra backpack and her messenger bag and following Warren out the door and onto the porch.
"Good luck with that Murphy fellow." The dad said to them. Bailey made her way down the steps as Sarah's mother thanked Warren for saving her girl, then they both left the cabin.
10K POV
Mack and Addy were helping Doc gather his stuff, doing the most they could so he didn't irritate his injured shoulder. Doc's attention was only half there, the other half was on 10K. His eyes kept darting to the sniper who was standing on a car with his rifle in his hands.
"They said leave after forty eight hours." Doc called to him in reminder.
"Just a little while longer." 10K called back not even turning to acknowledge the others. His eyes kept sweeping the valley for Bailey and Warren. They were going to come back, he knew they would. He'd seen them both survive through thick and thin, they'd come back. That thought kept repeating in his head as he tried to keep out the little voice that kept rephrasing it and saying, she'd come back. He bit his lip thinking about when she'd kissed him in the tunnel, it brought a lot of questions to his mind and he didn't want to think that something terrible had happened to her and he'd never get the chance to get answers. Then he heard feet on metal and a moment later Addy had climbed up the car next to him. She rested her hand on his right shoulder and he resisted the urge to shrug it off.
"10K, look, I want to believe they're coming back too." She began, "I'd love to see Bailey again, try to fix what I broke between us." She said pausing, "But if they said to leave. . . they know how this world works, they wouldn't have said to leave if they didn't mean –"
"Yeah." 10K said a bit sourly, "Sure. . . alright." He said throwing the strap of his rifle over his shoulder and hopping off the car. He looked a bit down and Addy looked out to the field hoping to see the same thing 10K had been hoping for.
Bailey POV
Colorado was very wide open land with few roads, at least where they ended up. When they finally reached a road they stopped to take a few sips of water before they saw someone coming their way. Warren drew her gun as Bailey pulled out her own. They watched the four wheeler get closer and the faces of the people on it became more familiar. Bailey couldn't help the grin that spread on her face and she saw Warren smile too. Mack pulled the ATV up to them before parking it and hopping off giving both Bailey and Warren each a hug, though his embrace with Bailey was longer having known her since the start and coming to love her like a sister, he was glad to have her back. Then from behind him Addy slowly walked over, her face was looking at the ground as she swung her Z Whacker back and forth gently then she looked up shyly to Bailey and gave a weak smile.
"Hey Bay." She said and Bailey took in her appearance, her long red hair had been pulled into a braid that wrapped around her head like a crown and she wore a light pink shirt dotted with flowers. Once Bailey noticed how long she'd been standing there staring at her she ran to Addy and gave her a hug. Addy dropped her bat and returned the gesture. As the two friends hugged it out Doc and 10K helped Warren with the supplies she'd gotten from the family in the cabin. 10K raised one of the large water jugs to his mouth taking deep sips after going so long without water, then he handed it to Doc who did the same.
"So any idea where Murphy went?" Mack asked after they'd all had their reunion and gotten everything packed up on the trailer that was attached to the ATV.
"Most likely the closest town." Warren said hopping in the trailer with Bailey, Addy, Doc and 10K.
"Cheyenne, Wyoming here we come." Bailey muttered looking at a sign as they passed.
"Hey," Warren called getting everyone's attention, "If anyone asks we were nowhere near Colorado."
Bailey couldn't help but give a small smile remembering when Garnett had said something similar about the Liberty Bell.
«»
On the outskirts of Cheyenne were several shops, Addy suggested they stop and find new clothing since theirs was probably ruined by the fallout from the nuke. Bailey had a sneaking suspicion that the red head wanted her own change of clothes so she could fully put the whole Sisters of Mercy thing in the past. Warren agreed and they stopped at the nearest store to change. Inside was dark and musty but it would do. The windows were big enough to allow a decent amount of light in so they didn't need to use flashlights and there had only been a few Z's that they'd taken care of quickly. They split into two groups, the guys and the girls as they wandered through the racks for whatever caught their eye. Bailey looked down at her yellow leather jacket and noticed it was now turning a lighter brown color and as much as she hated to part with it, it looked like she had no choice but to leave it behind. She took it off and threw it away where it landed on a mannequin's head. She looked in a full length mirror and noticed that her dark grey tee shirt didn't look too bad especially considering everything it had been through. Although, it did have some serious pit stains as a result of either fighting Z's or running for her life. She found a changing room and stripped off the shirt and pulled out her knife. She sliced the sleeves off and threw the shirt back on seeing how it would look. It wasn't a bad job, the holes were a little bigger than the sleeves had been and revealed a sliver of her black bra but not too much. Satisfied, she left the changing room to do something about her pants. Unlike her tee shirt they'd been trashed, even though they were black and the blood stains didn't show the skinny jeans had still suffered. Wherever the blood had dried had left the material rough and scratchy, not only that but there was still a hole cut in the upper left thigh from when she'd been shot by Tobias' men and Moonshade had stitched her back up. Her pants were also missing the bottom half since she'd cut them back in Nebraska during the heat wave, the dehydration and the Zunami. She weaved through the racks and found a pair of tight khaki pants that would do nicely. The light color would no doubt show the blood stains she was about to get but there was a piece of her that didn't want to be stuck wearing black throughout the entire apocalypse so she shrugged and said what the hell and took the khaki pants. Her messenger bag – thankfully – looked like it could survive another three years of this hell on earth so she happily kept it. She threw the strap over her shoulder making sure she had everything as she headed to the door to meet the others.
"Hey." Addy's voice came from behind her and Bailey looked her up and down appreciating her new look. Addy had traded in her old Sisters of Mercy clothes for a black top and leather jacket which in Bailey's opinion suited her a lot better. "Found this. Thought it would look good on you."
For a moment Bailey was pulled back years ago to when she and Addy would go shopping together on weekends. Addy held out her hand and passed her a dark olive green jacket, the material was light but it fit well. Bailey rolled the sleeves up to just above her elbows and looked at it in the next full length mirror they passed. She nodded to herself, the look was good and it was practical, it'd work. She noticed Addy running her fingers along the braid her hair was in as she looked herself over.
"Bailey could you do me a favor?" she asked still looking at her hair in the reflection.
«»
Bailey smiled as Addy ran her fingers through her now much shorter red hair as they met up with the group at the store's entrance. Mack's eyebrows shot up under the edge of his beanie as he smiled at Addy in clear approval of her new hairdo.
"Nice hair, Addy." 10K's voice came from behind them as he joined the group.
"Thanks." Addy said still grinning and Bailey was happy to see her friend so happy. She turned to face 10K and froze, he probably looked the most different out of all of them. He'd switched his light grey camo shirt for a plain black tee with tight black jeans. He'd found a new pair of boots that were identical to his old ones except these weren't patched with duct tape. He'd thrown a sleeveless army green jacket over his shirt and Bailey quickly glanced down at her own jacket which was oddly similar. She glanced over to Addy who now seemed adamant to avoid eye contact with her as she swung her Z Whacker over her shoulder. 10K also had fingerless cotton gloves that went to his mid-forearm and a bandana hanging around his neck and Bailey wondered if he'd been thinking of the possibility of running into more nuclear fallout when he'd chosen it along with a pair of goggles that rested on his head.
"Okay, everyone good to go?" Warren asked as they made their way out. 10K adjusted the strap of his rifle on his shoulder before bringing a hand to adjust the goggles that ruffled his hair a bit. Bailey looked away when she caught herself staring and was glad Murphy wasn't here, she knew if he had been and he'd caught her staring at 10K she'd never hear the end of it from him.
They all piled back into the trailer of the ATV and took off into Cheyenne.
«»
"This is Citizen Z broadcasting on all frequencies. This is an emergency broadcast. Repeat. This is an emergency broadcast. Literally life and death for the human race. Now there is a man travelling among you. He's the only human known to have survived a zombie bite. His blood has the antibodies to create a vaccine. Now it is imperative that he be transported, alive, to the Centers for Disease Control Lab in California. His name is Murphy. Last seen in Fort Collins, Colorado. Six foot two. Dark hair. Numerous bite marks on torso. Known to control zombies. Should be considered armed and dangerous. Keep alive at all costs. Repeat. Keep him alive at all costs. The Centers for Disease Control is offering an enormous bounty for Murphy's safe delivery to be paid in whatever form you desire as well as being first in line for any cure developed. If you can hear this broadcast, save humanity, safe yourself, find Murphy."
"I wonder who else heard that broadcast?" 10K asked when Addy was done replaying it over the radio.
"Ten o'clock!" Mack shouted drawing their attention to a truck with four men, one driver, one passenger and two standing in the bed, all heavily armed.
"I see them." Warren said, "Just keep going."
"Folks are friendly here in Cheyenne." Doc said as a maroon van drove by with a woman who glared at them as she passed.
"Friendly ain't the vibe I'm getting. Let's find Murphy and get the hell out of Dodge." Warren instructed.
"Cheyenne." Doc corrected jokingly.
"Whatever." Warren said before continuing her instructions, "Okay so we all need to think like Murphy, get inside his zombified head. And I know that's a scary place to be. But where would you hide if you were Murphy?"
They drove a little ways and passed a consignment shop with paint and blood smeared on the front window before 10K shouted, "Hey hold on! You said think like Murphy?" he pointed.
"Hell they might as well have his picture on the sign." Doc said as they read the sign hanging above the place that read, Live Nude Gurlz- strippers. Addy and Bailey shared a look as Mack parked the ATV around the side of the building and they all walked in the front. It was dark inside, only a few holes in the walls allowing in any light from the outside. There were zombies sitting at the tables inside but none of them moved as their group entered and found Murphy in a hideous gold suit and fedora sitting at the bar having a drink.
"Hey guys." Murphy greeted them not looking away from his glass. "This place is cool right?" he said spinning on the bar stool taking in his small kingdom, "Found it about a week ago. What the hell took you so long?" he asked them stopping his spin to finally look at them.
"Murphy you son of a bitch." Warren said.
"Yeah what she said." Doc agreed.
"Now, now Roberta. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?" Murphy asked and that was it for Warren's patience. She hurried forward and grabbed Murphy by his tie and slammed him against the bar as Doc followed behind her, 10K moved behind him as the Z's growled and they all flinched, except Warren. 10K looked back and forth between the Z's closest to them on either side while Bailey ran her hand along the handle of her hatchet.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey." Murphy said raising one hand which made the snarling zombies calm down. "That hurt."
"Oh, I'm just getting started." Warren threatened.
"Now come on Chief. Hey." Doc said moving closer to her, "Don't forget the mission. Come on." After a second Doc's words seemed to sink in and she let Murphy go.
"You damn near got us killed." Warren spat, "And you did kill millions of other people."
"Didn't you get the memo?" Murphy asked fixing his jacket, "The Apocalypse means never having to say you're sorry." Warren shook her head at his response, "I was just following the directive of this mission: Save Murphy's ass. Let's not forget, if I die party's over for the human race. You wanna blame somebody blame that nutjob Dr. Kurian or your little buddy Citizen Z!"
"Maybe we should tie you up for your own good." 10K said stalking forward glowering at Murphy as he reached in his pocket for rope. Then someone ran out from behind the bar and stood in front of him guarding Murphy. They were wearing a fluffy white fur coat and their dark hair was a mess, but the bite on their cheek Bailey would know from anywhere.
"Cassandra?" 10K said stunned before pulling her in for a hug, "You're alive." He said sounding relieved. Bailey almost was too but she saw Cassandra's form stay tense and after a moment 10K let go and took a good look at her. Her eyes were distant and something about her was definitely off.
"Cassandra?" 10K asked softly his voice sounding hurt as he cupped her face in his hands but she still stared off like she didn't recognize him. "What did you do to her?" he asked now sounding angry and Bailey turned to glare at Murphy. Cassandra – even the bitten version in the lab – had been their friend, she'd tried to protect them, but after a week with Murphy who knew what he'd done to her in that time to turn her into what they saw now.
"Saved her life what did you do?" Murphy snapped and Cassandra gave a low hiss and pulled away from 10K giving him a harsh shove, the hurt and confusion on his face was enough to push Bailey over the line, she took a step forward toward Murphy with her hand going to grab her hatchet but the zombies in the room snarled again and she stopped.
"Is anyone else concerned that there's all these Z's standing around here?" Doc asked after they'd calmed down.
"Don't worry, they're friendly." Murphy said, "As long as I'm friendly." He said eyeing Bailey with her hand still on her hatchet. When his eyes met hers she glared harder at him.
"Come on Murphy, we've got to get you to California." Warren said trying to take attention off of the Cassandra issue and back to the mission.
"Yeah. About California. . ." Murphy began, "You know after everything that happened, the nukes and all. . . I'm not so sure I'm down with the whole saving humanity thing. I'm not so sure humanity's worth saving."
"You're going to California." Warren said and if she ever talked to Bailey in that voice she wouldn't ask any questions, it was a no nonsense kind of tone.
"You don't even know if California is still there." Murphy snapped.
"Well look, if you won't do it for humanity, do it for yourself, Murphy." Doc said, "You need that vaccine more than anybody. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You may be styling but your turning zombie brother."
"Brother, maybe there are worse things than being a zombie." He said looking to all of them, "Maybe being a starving, fearful" his eyes glanced at Addy, "violent" they turned to Bailey, "vindictive" they moved to 10K, "human is worse." He paused to glare at them all, "But hey! It's the apocalypse!" he said in a cheerier voice and clapped his hands once, "Let's have some fun! Let me show you what I've been working on." He said jogging over to the stage in his excitement, "Come on grab a seat. You're gonna love this." Then he turned back and saw their unamused expressions as they stood in silence "The apocalypse will still be waiting for us when we're done!" he shouted at them, "Cassandra!"
Cassandra moved out the back door and not much later Bailey heard a generator start up. They all moved to sit at the bar, 10K was sitting furthest down next to Addy then Bailey, then Warren, Doc and Mack. Bailey noticed a zombie bartender mulling around behind them lifting his arms and hitting bottles with his hands but didn't seem aware that he could use his fingers to grab them and just kept slapping at them uselessly. Murphy noticed and once his attention was on the Z the bartender suddenly moved more fluidly and stretched his fingers around a bottle and poured the amber liquid inside into glasses that were already scattered about the bar. He spilled a lot but got the job done well enough to please Murphy who took to the stage.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Ah, so nice to see so many familiar faces in the audience tonight!" he shouted with glee as 10K took a glass and sniffed it but couldn't try it before Addy pulled it out of his hand and placed it behind Bailey on the bar as Murphy continued. "Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for the one the only –Chanterelle!"
Cassandra came back and made her way to the DJ stand and started a record, the music was slow and dreary and as the zombie stripper moved to the pole Bailey shifted her focus on the Z behind the bar knowing that if Murphy decided to try and do them in so he could get away he'd probably use the bartender since that was the Z that was closest to them, and was behind their backs.
"Hope she ain't working for tips." Doc said watching the stripper.
"Oh my god." Addy said slowly as she looked on shaking her head in disapproval, Bailey turned to her and caught 10K staring at the zombie dancer but he didn't seem to really be paying attention. The look in his eyes was far off and Bailey considered the possibility that the music which kept repeating the lyric "make a fool out of me" might be getting to him, especially after the way zombie-Cassandra had treated him. Then his eyes grew wider and his expression became a bit more concerned as Bailey turned and noticed the speed the dancer was going as she swung around the pole. Finally she got so fast her body flew off the stage but her arm was still gripping the pole swinging around until it fell to the ground.
"Ta-da!" Murphy said with a grin, "I know, I know, the finale needs a little work. But hey let's hear it for her, Chanterelle!" his grin dropped when he saw that none of them were impressed, "Oh come on." Then a clapping came from the back door and they all turned to see an uninvited newcomer.
"Is this a private show or can anybody watch?" The man asked, he was tall and well built, Bailey thought he could probably snap her neck with his bare hands which made her nervous when she realized 10K was the one closest to him. He also wore a black bullet proof vest over a tight tan tee shirt and was holding an automatic rifle that he turned on them when they tried to draw their weapons. "Uh, uh, uh leave your weapons where they are, don't make me shoot anybody. There's enough zombies in this world already." He said.
"What do you want?" Murphy asked still on the stage.
"Your name wouldn't happen to be Murphy would it?" the man – clearly a bounty hunter, asked.
"Nope." Murphy replied unconvincingly with a shake of his head.
"Lot of people looking for you Mr. Murphy." The bounty hunter said.
"That so?"
"This man," Warren said moving in front of 10K with her hands raised, "he's our prisoner
"Well he's my prisoner now." The bounty hunter said, his weapon still aimed at them.
"Uh no, sorry she's right. We got dibs on him." Doc said calmly.
"Yeah and we're taking him to California." Addy added.
"No you're not. He's coming with me."
"Where?" Murphy asked.
"To the highest bidder." The man replied, "CDC in California aren't the only ones willing to pay for his blood."
"Why does everybody always talk about me like I am not standing right here?" Murphy grumbled, "You know there's only one problem with all of your plans for the Murphy. I ain't going anywhere with any of you, hit it!" and Cassandra hit a button before she and Murphy fled out the back. Whatever she'd hit seemed to trigger everything in the place, colored flashing lights, that horrible music, a fog machine and worst of all – Murphy had woken the zombies. Shots were fired as the dead descended on the living and Bailey drew her hatchet and quickly killed the Z bartender she'd had her eye on. The rest of the group had dispersed and Bailey realized she was closest to the bounty hunter when he started using liquor bottles to smash the Z's heads. Knowing she couldn't take him she headed for Addy who was fighting on stage and looked like she could use the backup. Bailey ran past 10K as he stabbed one in the head and she climbed onto the stage, Addy immediately turned so they could fight back to back. More gun shots were fired as more Z's went down. Doc was on a table while Warren and Mack were shooting, 10K was by a pool table and started picking up the balls and pitching them like you'd see in a baseball game. They were heavy enough that they broke the Z's skulls and sent shards of bone straight into their brains mercying them.
"We've got to get out of here!" Warren shouted as the bounty hunter ran out the back after Murphy.
"I know I can't stand this music." Doc replied and Bailey would have laughed if so much wasn't going on.
"Let's go!" Warren shouted and headed for the back door but before they could follow her more zombies cut them off. Bailey and Addy jumped off the stage and did their best to help clear the path. 10K came up beside her and threw another pool ball hitting a Z in the eye as he dropped.
"10K if the apocalypse didn't happen you'd have a future in pro baseball." She said and he turned to her and they shared a smile, "Did you play little league as a kid?" he only continued to smile as they cleared the last of the Z's and went after Warren. They found her pinned against the wall in the thin hallway by a much bigger zombie.
"Warren!" Addy shouted.
"We're out of ammo." Mack cried checking his gun and 10K pushed past him to grab a fire extinguisher off the wall.
"Look out!" he shouted running forward with it and jamming it into the zombie's stomach giving Warren the chance to run for cover. He turned it on and the Z began to fill with the fire retardant foam until he blew apart and covered the hall, and their group, in foam and blood. Thankfully, Bailey didn't get covered in much from her place behind Doc but the older man was completely blinded. He wiped the foamy blood out of his eyes and pushed on following the others out the door and into the alley where Mack had parked the ATV.
"Well what do we do now Chief?" Doc asked pulling out a rag and wiping himself off as Mack headed for the trailer and grabbed a black duffle bag full of ammo. 10K finished wiping himself off before he crouched down by the bag and reloaded.
"I made a promise to a little girl and I'm gonna keep it." Warren said getting out her own gun and filling it with bullets, "We are going to find Murphy and get him to California, and they're going to make a vaccine to save the world. And I'm gonna kill any bounty hunter that gets in my way." She said fiercely.
"Sounds like a plan." Addy said smiling as she finished brushing the foam off her jacket.
"Any idea which way Murphy went?" 10K asked readying his rifle. They heard the sound of tires burning rubber against the asphalt before the same maroon van from before went flying by the end of the alley.
"He went thatta way." Warren said and they followed her lead.