10K POV
They'd been hiking through Wyoming heading east when Warren finally called for a break. They'd all been keeping an eye on Addy knowing that losing Mack would be hardest for her and didn't want to add exhaustion to her stress. 10K noticed that Bailey had wandered off and was sitting a good hundred yards away from the group. It was so wide open that she'd be able to see a zombie coming for miles but he still made his way over to her just to make sure she was alright.
Bailey POV
She fell to the ground on one knee, then both as she sat in the dirt. She rested the handle of her hatchet on the grass and rested her head on the blunt end of the metal. She jumped a little when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see 10K crouching down beside her.
"Oh," she breathed in relief, "I thought you were Addy."
"Addy's not allowed to see you cry?" he asked eyeing the tear trails that had streaked down her face as he rested his elbows on his knees, his rifle slung across his back.
"Not now." She said with a sniffle trying to keep herself together, "Not when she's in more pain than I am." She said not looking at 10K but instead turning her gaze to the grass at her feet as she started pulling it out of the ground. "I have to be strong for her."
There was a long pause before 10K licked his lip and moved his hand to her back, "Who's going to be strong for you?" he asked softly not taking his eyes off her. She didn't answer his question as she felt the wall she'd put up start to break. Tears stung her eyes and her breathing started to become irregular. When the first sob escaped her lips 10K's arms were instantly around her pulling her into a hug as she buried her face in his shoulder. He dropped onto one knee to pull her closer as he began to rub up and down her back comfortingly as she cried and mourned Mack.
"I'm an idiot." She murmured as she moved her head to rest in the curve of his neck as his hold around her tightened, "When we left them back in Utah I thought that was the worst I'd ever felt. But I should have been happy that he was at least still alive." She said through her deep breaths, bringing her arms around 10K's torso and letting herself get comfortable in his hold. He was quiet for a while as he held her and rubbed her back. Then he finally decided on something to say.
"You're not an idiot." He said quietly in her ear, "You're just. . . human."
He let her stay curled up against him for a while before they decided it was time to head back to the group. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself as she pulled away from him because she didn't want it to be obvious to Addy that she'd fallen apart.
"We are going the wrong direction, again." she heard Murphy complain as the group started to move on making their way over a hill.
"You left us no choice." Warren said, "Too much fallout in the west."
"Again, that was not my fault." Murphy tried to defend himself but it didn't convince anyone.
"Murphy, don't make me have to explain the term failsafe doomsday weapon again. Please." Doc begged.
"How do you know California is still there?" Murphy questioned still looking for excuses to quit the mission.
"You're looking ripe." Vasquez mocked, "You better hope it's still there. Move." He demanded giving Murphy a shove.
"You are not the boss of me." Murphy said turning to him defiantly, then he turned to Warren, "She is."
"I can handle this." Warren told the bounty hunter before she pushed Murphy herself then followed with a bow holding her arm out and speaking in a nicer tone, "Move."
"Gladly." He said before he walked off.
"You'll get used to him." Warren told Vasquez.
"Or not." Bailey muttered apparently loud enough for him to hear as Vasquez turned to her looking slightly amused.
10K POV
They kept walking until they came to where the ground sloped down to a road where a few cars sat turned over and on fire.
"10K let me see your scope." Warren asked and he handed her his gun and crossed his arms as she scoped the road out, "Oh looky here." She said looking at the damage, Vasquez stood a few paces off to the side looking down at the road too while Bailey and Addy lingered further back, Bailey had her arm over Addy's shoulders while Addy's arm was around her friend's waist.
"What are we going to do about her?" 10K asked and Warren turned to see him looking at Cassandra.
"Cassandra?" she asked.
"She's not Cassandra, not anymore." He said as he watched her rubbing Murphy's shoulders as he chewed on a long blade of grass.
"Maybe there's a way back for her when we get to California." Warren said trying to give him and herself hope.
"Maybe." He said nodding, though his tone conveyed how unconvinced he was. He kept watching Cassandra as she turned to him and paused as the look in her eyes changed, it was gentler, kinder, there was even a trace of recognition. He felt his own expression change as shock took over but the next second she seemed to snap out of it and returned to massaging Murphy leaving 10K to question if he really saw a piece of Cassandra come to the surface or if he just wanted to see that so badly that it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.
Then they heard a loud horn and he looked back to the road below them as the others joined them by the slope. Then a modified eighteen wheeler came into view as it barreled down the road.
"Is that some kind of post-apocalyptic wagon train?" Doc asked.
"Well it ain't the 3:10 to Yuma." Warren said as people jumped out from behind the turned over cars and started shooting as more bandits on ATV's joined them from behind. The wagon train slowed down as Warren muttered, "Don't get out of the truck."
"It's going to be a slaughter." Addy said watching.
"Can't expect to travel through a valley without an ambush." Murphy said from where he sat still chewing on his grass, "Didn't nobody ever watch westerns growing up?"
The wagon train stopped and its driver got out along with a few other riders. They drew their weapons and shot back at the group of bandits.
"Looks like they're holding them off. . . for now." Doc said impressed.
"Not bad for a bunch of sitting ducks." Warren agreed.
"Well don't-cha think we should. . . I dunno help them?" Doc suggested but then Vasquez grabbed the end of 10K's rifle that Warren was still holding and pointed it downward.
"Think less like a missionary and more like a mercenary." He said, "Let's wait, and steal the vehicles from the victor."
There was a pause while they considered it but when he turned to look at Warren the look in her eyes told him she didn't agree one bit, "We may not be able to save the world, but maybe we can save them." Warren said pulling the gun out of Vasquez' grip and passing it back to him, "10K, Vasquez and Bailey, that way. Addy you with me. Doc you watch him and her." Warren said nodding over her shoulder to Murphy and Cassandra.
Bailey POV
Bailey scaled down the side of the slope with Vasquez and 10K, the sniper crouched down and she followed his example as he blended into the rocky slope they'd perched on. She saw the wagon train lose three men before 10K and Vasquez started to fire, the bandits decided to flee as she and 10K stood. He lifted his scope to his eye as he aimed but looked over his shoulder and saw Bailey hesitate, she was still new at using a gun and had never tried to shoot a fast moving target before.
"Go for it." 10K encouraged her, "Think of it as more shooting practice."
She pulled out her gun as the men on the ATV's started to drive away. She shot but missed the first guy as he drove off. Vasquez aimed at the second man and hit him in the shoulder, he put his gun down seeming satisfied and not eager to take another shot and Bailey wondered what his play was. Then 10K turned to Vasquez seeing that he wasn't going to shoot again so he took over and nailed the guy in the head.
"That's one way to play it." Vasquez said and Bailey got a sense that he was trying to play off missing his shot.
"You mean, don't miss?" Bailey replied with a smirk lifting her arm and resting her right elbow on 10K's left shoulder as Vasquez shook off her comment. She didn't miss the smirk 10K was giving her out of the corner of her eye before they headed further down the hill to where Addy and Warren were. Bailey noticed the first guy on the ATV had circled back around and headed for the wagon train, what he didn't see was Addy on the other side of the vehicle so when he turned the corner she got him in the face with her Z Whacker knocking him off his ride. Warren walked over to where he landed in the dirt and aimed her gun.
"Good luck where you're going." She said as she fired.
When the bandits were taken care of Warren approached the driver of the eighteen wheeler.
"Sam Custer." He introduced himself holding out his hand.
"Roberta Warren." She said shaking it.
"Your timing is what we might call fortuitous."
"Sometimes things work out."
"We were on our way to Edmonton trying to outrun the fallout. How 'bout you?"
"Headed east too. This is quite the setup you've got here."
"Yes ma'am." Custer said proudly as his people welcomed them, thankful for their help with the bandits as people passed out soup cans and bottles of water as Operation Bitemark rested along the wagon train.
"We've got New England Clam Chowder and Beef with Vegetables, any preference?" A girl with a brown fringe coat and red war paint asked Bailey as she sat against the wagon train.
"Thanks. . ." Bailey said trailing off as she took one.
"Athena." the girl introduced shaking Bailey's hand.
"Nice jacket," Bailey complimented her, "and war paint."
"Thanks. Nice ax." Athena replied with a smile before moving on down the line of people passing out cans of soup.
"You guys need some more water?" another woman came around asking, "Water? Water?" Doc declined shaking his head but 10K took more in his tin cup.
"Thank you." He said politely.
"You're a hero Kid." Doc said scooping out white chunks of his soup can.
"You know you can have soup." A guy in a red jacket said coming up to them, "You know, you just add water."
"Cream of shrooms dude. Water just dilutes the flavor." Doc said spooning more with his fingers.
"You sure you don't want some?" Red Jacket asked 10K.
"I had minestrone loaf for breakfast." He replied as Red Jacket left to sit between Bailey and Murphy.
"Hydration?" he asked Murphy holding out a water bottle but Murphy just waved him off.
"Is there somewhere else you can sit?"
"Yep." The guy said taking the hint and leaving. Hey looks like Murphy is good for something, Bailey thought though she still scooted closer to 10K, not trusting herself being close to Murphy, after all he had inadvertently caused Mack's death. 10K noticed the hard look in her eyes and rested his hand on her knee giving her a nod in reassurance, she mustered up a small smile glad that he had offered to be her shoulder to cry on, not that she would allow herself to break down in front of so many strangers, but still, it was nice to have his comfort.
Then two men came over and asked for some help to move a turned over SUV out of the way. 10K and Vasquez volunteered to help and Bailey followed since there was nothing better to do and couldn't help but notice the car was eerily familiar to the one the skeleton faces were driving in Cheyenne. After the four men had flipped it right side up and out of the way she walked back with 10K to the wagon train. Suddenly he turned and drew his rifle startling her as he turned the scope to the slightly hilled landscape around them.
"What is it?" Bailey asked knowing how good 10K's instincts were. He was silent for a moment before he replied.
"Just. . . get behind me." He said as they backpedaled to the wagon train, the whole time 10K kept his sharp eyes on lookout.
"Saddle up! Edmonton awaits!" Custer called and they hopped on the wagon train. The front was like your typical eighteen wheeler and attached on the flatbed behind it was what looked like a cage made of various car parts. There were four short metal walls – one was just a Chevrolet tailgate flipped backwards, and the whole thing had bars going over the top of it. The sides were open enough for 10K to hop in and use the bars to help aim his rifle. Bailey sat on the flatbed itself where her feet touched the next flatbed that had an old car on it. One more flatbed made up the wagon train and had a yellow truck with no wheels on it and netting over the top of the bed, Bailey noticed this was where Athena sat. Behind that was the medical wagon with the sick and beside them was a Dodge Dart that was full of smoke and after everyone else got settled Custer went over and took Red Jacket, Murphy and Doc out who were all laughing after getting high on something.
"Look at me. Right here." Custer said getting Red Jacket's attention, "A jet airliner departs Toronto headed for O'Hare. –"
"Excuse me stewardess, will there be snack service on this flight?" Murphy asked tapping on the hood of the car and Doc snickered.
"One hundred and fifty passengers on board," Custer continued, "twenty of them in first class, the plane develops catastrophic engine trouble. The pilot puts it down in Lake Erie. The wreckage straddles the international boarder. Now, according to maritime law how many of the survivors get buried in Canada? Go!"
"Okay, there's ugh, there's one hundred and fifty passengers. There's twenty in first class. . . wait. . . you don't bury survivors." Red Jacket answered with a smile passing Custer's test.
"You! Look at me. You don't look right to me." Custer said turning his attention to Murphy.
"I don't know how I look but I feel pretty good." Doc said and they both started chuckling.
"Your friend is going to have to ride in the medical wagon with the sick." Custer said turning to Warren.
"Whoa, whoa, what? I don't even get a riddle?" Murphy snapped offended.
"We can afford compassion for the ill only because we have rules." Custer told Warren already seeing that she would be the more agreeable one, "That gonna be a problem?"
"No not a problem." She replied giving Murphy a look.
"Will there be snacks?" Murphy asked again.
"Munchies!" Doc cheered as everyone saddled up and Custer got in the driver's seat.
"Wagon train ho!" He shouted before blaring the horn and taking off down the road. Hands down this was Bailey's favorite way to travel through the apocalypse. With their strong shooters all they needed was enough gas and ammo and they'd be in the clear. After a few miles they spotted another overturned car with some bodies. Their faces had been ripped off and they had empty holes for eyes and no brains in their skulls, the rest of them was untouched.
"What do you think did that?" Bailey asked getting up and grabbing one of the bars between her and 10K.
"Blasters, according to Custer." Vasquez answered.
"Blasters?" 10K asked.
"Killed by the blast or mutated by the radiation. They eat nothing but brains, hunt in packs and are fast." Vasquez said drawing his gun. "Custer said there's probably some watching us right now so keep your eyes peeled."
"Always." 10K replied before Vasquez returned to where Warren was standing by Custer's door.
"Glad we're not on foot." Bailey said as 10K turned to the passing landscape keeping a sharp eye out. It wasn't long before they saw a blaster and Vasquez and Warren started shooting. They got it in the leg and it tumbled to the ground before it crab walked away.
"Don't see something like that every day." 10K grumbled not liking the blaster Z's any more than Bailey did. He looked out his scope before cocking his rifle and taking a shot. Bailey saw the blaster he was aiming for and heard footsteps to her left and saw Athena making her way over with her shotgun for backup. 10K reloaded and fired again, but it wasn't until the third shot that he hit the blaster in the head and it went down and he added to his count.
"You're one hell of a shot." Athena called over the noise of the truck and 10K blushed and looked away. Bailey shook her head unable to think about how every time 10K encountered a nice girl he got flustered and when she turned back Athena was using one of the car's mirrors to fix her war paint. Bailey watched as she took out a tube of lipstick and filled in the thin rectangle going down the middle of her chin, when she was pleased she capped it and put it back in her pocket. Bailey couldn't help but smile at Athena's creativity for uses of makeup in the apocalypse.
"I think that girl likes you Ten." Bailey said messing with him, wanting to see him blush again.
"Hey, speaking of that –" he began but got cut off as they heard more roaring engines, a second later gunshots followed. Warren and Vasquez returned fire as a couple motorcycles went by on either side. 10K shot too but they all missed as the guys on the bikes zipped passed. Warren made her way along the side of the truck to talk to Custer and on her way back she fell and Vasquez helped her up.
"Thanks for that." She said.
"De nada. I owed you."
"Who can keep track?" Warren said getting to her feet and Bailey saw 10K's arm pop out from the side of the contraption he was in.
"Get in." he said and she took his hand as he helped her into the cage where she'd be better protected as more gunfire started.
"Now they're starting to piss me off!" Warren said getting out her gun and firing. Bailey turned and saw bandits on ATV's come up behind them and take the Dodge Dart as Doc and Red Jacket jumped out and Cassandra leapt onto the back and started to tear one of the guys apart.
"Take cover!" 10K shouted looking out his scope and Bailey saw the ATV's head their way. She crouched and pulled out her gun again and rested it between the metal plate and the bars that made up the cage she was in. When one of the guys on the ATV drove by Bailey aimed and fired. She didn't get the guy in the head but she did get his shoulder bad enough that he had to keep driving with one arm which looked difficult as he swerved.
"How did that feel?" 10K asked as he knelt down and reloaded his rifle knowing it was the first time Bailey had hit a target moving that fast.
"Damn good." Bailey said with a grin. Her happiness was short lived however when she looked back up and saw Athena get in a couple good shots before she took one to the head and Bailey said a silent prayer for her. 10K ducked as the ATV on his side drove by before he popped up again and started shooting. The Dodge Dart and the ATV's went past them and Bailey got up to see the medical truck slow down until it got lost in the dust. Her heart started to pick up pace as she realized Addy was still in that truck – if she was still alive. She had to be, she told herself, she had to be. She couldn't lose her friend this soon after Mack. Her eyes glanced at Athena's body lying limp over the wheel-less truck, she'd liked that girl and couldn't help but think this was the universe telling her to stop making friends, they'd just be taken away.
«»
They stopped to bury the dead and give the medical wagon time to catch up. She helped the others wrap Athena's body in a sheet before they carried her off to a freshly dug grave. Bailey noticed something fall from her pocket as they lifted her and she bent down to retrieve the tube of lipstick. She stared at it for a second remembering how Athena had used it as war paint before she put the tube in her pocket. When the medical wagon did catch them Bailey was relieved to see Addy safe and sound, unfortunately that little annoying voice in her head spoke up what if she wasn't alright? What would you do? Mercy her like she did Mack? Do you have it in you? Thankfully she was distracted from her thoughts when Red Jacket got out of the truck with Doc and the heavier man approached Custer.
"Custer I am so sorry. There were blasters and the bandits they got our . . . "
Custer grabbed him before he could finish and slammed him against the side of the eighteen wheeler "You were supposed to protect that car. And her! That's Athena!" he turned to the grave.
"Oh, no, no, she was my friend. She didn't like me but she wasn't mean to me either. . ."
"Look at me, two mothers two daughters, they die of starvation, they turn Z!"
"Athena's dead, I can't think straight!"
"What happens after five minutes of–"
"Look, look man! Things got pretty heavy back there." Doc tried calming Custer down.
"Hey pipe down hippie! If the radiation gets the better of you you're a threat to the whole group!"
"Minneapolis. I can go to Minneapolis." Red Jacket said, "They have medicine there, I'll bring it back."
"Take him to the medical wagon!" Custer ordered.
"No, no I can still help!"
"Go on! Take him now!"
"Check yourself Custer, you don't look so good." Red Jacket said before shaking off the others who'd been grabbing him and he walked back to the medical wagon.
«»
They stopped a few miles down when Custer spotted his Dodge Dart on the side of the road, Bailey saw 10K aim his rifle then he lowered it.
"Cassandra." He said and something about the tone in his voice made a pain throb in her chest. When the truck came to a complete stop he hopped out and ran over to her.
"Cassandra!" he shouted as Doc followed him over and Addy made her way over to Bailey.
"Hey." Addy called softly getting her attention, "How'd Cassandra end up like that?" the red head asked as they turned and watched Doc follow 10K over to Cassandra.
"The infection in her leg." Bailey began to explain from her place in the cage, "It came back. I think the stitches pulled open and it got infected again. She wanted us to leave her, she didn't want to slow us down. 10K was ready to carry her all the way to California but we left her in a storage room while we cleared the lab in Colorado and looked for Dr. Merch. That's when Murphy must have bitten her, it was the only time he would have had the chance." She said thinking back to when they'd all told Cassandra their goodbyes and part of Bailey wondered if her friend did die that day, if what was traveling with them now was even Cassandra anymore.
"But why?" Addy asked, "How could he have known what would have happened?"
"Murphy and I got kidnapped by a group in Colorado, he used them to test how humans would react to his DNA. . . I've never seen anything like it. But with Cassandra." She paused shaking her head slightly, "I don't know what Murphy's done to turn her into that." She kept her eyes on 10K as he rested his hands on Cassandra's jaw, gently caressing her bloodied face. She saw his thumb stroke her cheek but it didn't change the blank look in her eyes. Bailey felt a wave of jealously as she watched how 10K treated the half dead girl but she did everything she could to fight it off, especially when she saw Doc pull an ax out of the girl's back.
"What about you and 10K?" Addy asked leaning back on the bars as Bailey crossed her arms and rested them on the open side of the cage leaning forward slightly. "When we were in that department store you told me you two kissed after the nuke, I thought. . . "
"Yeah, I thought too." Bailey said looking down at her khaki's playing with a patch that had started to fray. Of course part of her had hoped after they'd kissed that her and 10K would just become a thing, like how Addy and Mack had been. But Bailey had been too embarrassed to even bring it up and then they'd found Cassandra and 10K's attention went straight to her. This is why you shouldn't listen to your emotions in an apocalypse, that annoying little voice in her head spoke up again, you let your feelings decide what to do and now you're paying for it. "I guess even half dead she still means more to him than I do." Bailey muttered but Addy still heard it.
"Bailey," Addy began seeing the change in her best friend's demeanor, "You tried. That's better than pushing aside your feelings and doing nothing. There's nothing worse than regretting not acting, not doing something when you had the chance. Don't be afraid to feel, if you're sad then be sad, if you're mad then –"
"I'm not mad at her." She interrupted before Addy could continue to lecture her, "Or him. Cassandra can't help it. . . and. . . I actually feel bad for her." She turned back and looked at the girl who was now making her way to Murphy almost like she was in a trance. "To be trapped in your own body like that, a puppet to someone else, someone like Murphy. It's hard seeing your friend like that and not being able to help."
"Someone's going to put her down." Addy said sadly like she wished there was a way to get their friend back, like she was somehow hoping for a way to convince the others the girl they knew was still in there. "Sooner or later."
"It's going to destroy 10K." Bailey said sadly, "And that only makes me hate Murphy even more."
"Just when you start to think it's not possible." Addy began. "He goes and tops himself." Bailey nodded her head, both friends in agreement.
Then the others got the Dart moving again but Warren seemed worried about Custer.
"Hey are you good to drive?" Bailey overheard her asking.
"Fit as a fiddle."
"Twenty survivors of a nuclear attack bound for Edmonton. Eight strangers join the caravan, three vehicles need a driver. And the wagon master is suffering from radiation sickness. Who drives the semi-truck?" She asked giving him a riddle of her own.
"That's an easy one." Custer said pulling out a gun, "Nobody drives that rig but me." Vasquez then pulled his gun on Custer and Warren pushed Custer's weapon away.
"How about I drive that car?" she gestured to the Dart.
"Yeah, that'd work. Careful the brakes are touchy." Custer said putting away his pistol then the Dart revved and sped off and a blue hand waved out the window at them. Bailey could see Cassandra in her bloodied white fur and Red Jacket in the car with Murphy.
"Well I did not see that move coming." Vasquez said.
"Well damn." Custer spat.
They got back to their positions as Custer took off again. 10K stood in the cage, his rifle ready but Bailey had gotten tired of standing and now sat in the corner of the cage with her knees pulled up to her stomach. 10K must have noticed her suddenly distant attitude as he turned to her and asked if she was feeling alright.
She shrugged, "I'm just tired of losing people." She half lied not wanting to get into the mess of the triangle she'd found herself in. "Makes me think maybe things would be better on my own."
She expected 10K to argue with her, to tell her she couldn't leave, instead he was silent for a long time before he sat down across from her and put his rifle aside.
"I remember feeling that way." He began, "After putting down. . . after losing my Pa." he said nervously licking his lip, "I thought it'd be better on my own, every time I saw other groups I would tend to hang back. I didn't want to meet people, no matter who they were. I wanted the. . . ease of being alone. Not having to worry about caring about someone else, not having to worry if they'd be taken away from you."
"So what made our group different?" she asked.
He shrugged biting his lip again, "I'm not sure, maybe I was just tired of being alone. When Doc offered me that ride, something in me said it would be more than a ride, part of me knew I'd get caught up in whatever you guys were up to – had no idea it would be a mission to save the world. But. . . I was just ready to not be alone anymore, ya'know? That even if I made friends, even if they died and turned, even if I had to mercy them, it'd be better than being alone. After a while by yourself being alone turns into being lonely and you just need to be around people, even if sometimes it hurts." He whispered the last bit and started playing with the zipper on his vest and she could tell he was thinking about Cassandra. Then he looked back up at her. "Just don't shut us out. . . don't shut me out."
"Warren!" they heard Addy shout from way back in the medical wagon, which they were keeping right along the back of the eighteen wheeler so not to lose it again. "Warren! We got to go! Let's pick it up!"
"Blasters!" Bailey shouted back to Warren and Vasquez when she stood and saw what had worried Addy.
"Here they come!" 10K yelled as he aimed his rifle and took a shot but the blaster was smart enough to duck and keep running. They saw Addy draw her own gun and start to fire but she didn't have any better luck.
"Zeke!" she called to another person in the medical wagon, "Zeke! Is he sleeping?" then there was a blood curdling scream.
"No!" Addy shouted and Bailey and 10K shared a look knowing what had happened, at least one of the sick people in that wagon had turned which meant Addy was now surrounded by Z's on either side. 10K threw his rifle over his shoulder and climbed out of the cage they were in. Bailey immediately grabbed his bicep holding him back. He turned and saw the worried look in her eyes.
"I'm not letting you lose more friends." He said and a beat of silence passed between them.
"Just come back alive." She said her voice thick with emotion. He smirked and nodded before taking off down the wagon train, passing Doc and making his way to Addy.
10K POV
"I really hate that one." He said as he climbed over the top of the medical truck and offered Addy his hand. She grabbed it and pulled herself up to the roof. They climbed to the front bumper of the truck and he readied his rifle.
"Come on! Come on!" Addy waved the driver forward and they hit the gas bringing the two of them closer to the wagon train. Addy jumped first and 10K followed her with a single leap as the blasters made their way to the roof of the medical wagon. They passed the yellow wheel less truck Athena had used and made their way past the next car where Doc was with a gun ready to cover them.
"Come on, you guys, go go!" he shouted, "Run Kid! Addy get out of there! I got this!"
He and Addy made it to the cage as Bailey climbed out and they both gave quick nods signaling that they were okay as Doc fired his gun and the blaster fell off the car.
"I think I got him." he said stunned at himself.
"All right! Nice shooting! Move your ass! Come on, come on Doc!" Addy shouted as 10K and Bailey made it up to Warren and Vasquez. There were still a good half dozen Z's climbing over the cars trying to get to them.
"Hey are we slowing down?" Addy asked.
"We need to not slow down." Doc said as they caught sight of a road block up ahead.
"Everybody hang on to something." Warren said as she made her way to the passenger seat and joined Custer. Then the truck lurched forward as they sped up, 10K grabbed the bars of the cage and Bailey grabbed him around the middle as the whole wagon train shuddered at the impact but kept going.
"Wagon train ho!" they heard Custer shout.
"Doc let me see your gun." Addy said before taking the pistol and took aim at a Z, "Zeke I give you mercy!" she said taking the shot and killing Zeke. The other Z's continued getting closer until the whole group was squeezed together with nowhere left to run. The horn honked twice before they saw Warren dive out the door and roll along the ground.
"Hang on Roberta!" Doc shouted as they all threw their stuff and leapt off after her.
«»
They all got up and brushed themselves off and as 10K was getting his rifle out of the tall grass he noticed Bailey was still on the ground. She was propped up on her left elbow with her back to him, her braid had come loose a bit in their tumble leaving some shorter strands hanging in her face. He went over and reached for her right arm intending to help her up but the moment he got a grip on her she shouted in pain.
"What?" he asked suddenly nervous as Addy came over and crouched behind her friend. She felt around Bailey's right shoulder blade for a moment.
"She dislocated it." The red head said as 10K knelt down and gently took her arm.
"Okay here, on three okay?" he asked and Bailey nodded her head and he prepared to pop her arm back in its socket.
"One, two –"
"Ahhh!" she cried out as he popped her shoulder, "You only counted to two!" she complained leaning forward and shaking out her arm.
"Sorry, thought it might be better." She hit him in the stomach but it wasn't a real hit, more like a light tap, so he knew he wasn't in real trouble with her.
"I've never jumped from a moving vehicle in my whole life and now boom twice in one day." Doc said as they all got up and regrouped.
«»
"You sure about Minneapolis?" Warren asked as they made their way to the abandoned medical wagon.
"Wrecking Ball was going on about some herbal cure for the zombie virus being cooked up in an old genetically modified food lab out there." Addy said with one hand on her hip and her Z Whacker swinging in the other.
"Hold on, marijuana, zombies, and GMO's. What could go wrong?" Doc snickered as 10K and Vasquez opened the door to the truck and the driver fell out. Vasquez was quick but it was unnecessary as they saw the driver had already mercied himself.
"You people really do attract it, don't you?" Vasquez asked 10K as he leaned against the open door. "Help me with the hitch."
Then they heard an explosion and saw a plume of black smoke in the distance.
"A caravan of twenty refugees leaves Seattle's blast zone for Edmonton. They meet seven survivors and one Murphy. How many refugees survive?" Warren asked before getting in the truck.
"Not one." Addy said as she and Bailey hopped in the truck with Warren. The Chief drove and Addy had shotgun while Bailey sat in the middle. 10K hopped in with the guys in what little space was available in the back as they headed off for Minneapolis. As Warren drove she shouted at them from the open window.
"If anyone asks we were nowhere near Wyoming."
I'm not sure what deleted scene the picture below is from but I want to see this scene ever since I found the picture!