S5E08:
The journey from Bakersville to Heartland would take two days on foot because they'd given Murphy and the bakery family the ATV's since it was more important to get them back to Limbo to feed the starving Talkers. They walked all day until they came to a town that was marked on Addy's map. It hadn't been settled by anyone but Bailey remembered George saying she had hoped the small neighborhood would be used once Newmerica was a thriving country. It rested between Pacifica and a place called the Brewers that Bailey had never been to but knew that's where the outposts got their liquor from. The Tree Dwellers was the source of lumber, Old Frontera handled livestock while the High Plains focused on agriculture. The Inlanders supplied textiles while the Islanders fished, the Mountaineers worked well with stone while the Waterkeepers guarded and maintained the dam. More north of them was the Rangers which Bailey knew was empty so for now other outposts had been using it as a storage center for old machinery they'd moved to make room for more people. Pacifica's big seller had been their books and providing education which drew a lot of people with children, but Heartland's role in the Newmerican dream was providing grain.
Once they'd found a house to stay in for the night Warren divided up watch shifts and they secured every exit so nothing would get in while they slept. It felt just like old times, Bailey thought while she stood on the porch keeping watch, occasionally looking through the window to watch Addy who was working on the handheld radio Bailey had brought as she and Warren tried to contact Kaya to send a message to Doc and George. 10K had vanished a while ago and Bailey wished he'd come out with the rest of them but understood he needed some space every now and then.
It wasn't until a good four hours later when Bailey was starting to get tired that 10K came out to take his shift. The first thing Bailey noticed was the new hook he was wearing on his wrist. It looked like he'd taken an old tin can and some coat hanger wire and secured it with duct tape so it resembled the trigger finger he'd lost on the truck.
"Hey." He said stepping out of the house, "Warren said I'm up for watch."
Bailey smiled at him and got up from her chair and stretched her arms. She was heading back inside when something in her gut stopped her and she turned to look at 10K who was now leaning on the rail of the porch.
"I heard what you told Addy. . .about your dreams." She began and even from behind him she saw his shoulders tense up, "I remember that. . . I know what it's like." She crossed her arms and leaned against the house, she could tell by her peripheral vision that he had turned around and was looking at her confused but it was suddenly like she couldn't look at him, but it was too late, she'd already brought up the subject. "After the submarine, when I thought you were gone and I was traveling north by myself." She took a deep breath, "I remember what it's like to spend the whole day trying to tough it out, to deal with it, but then you go to sleep and your dreams just. . . bombard you with what you lost. It feels so real, to have it all back. Then you wake up and it's like losing those things all over again."
There was a long pause and she felt his eyes on her the whole time before he actually said anything, "You dreamt about me?"
She nodded still looking at her feet, "Every night. And every time it felt so good, like you were really there with me, then when I'd wake up and remember you were gone. . . it was like being back at square one. Like reliving the moment I lost you each morning. I'll never forget that pain, and I hate that you're going through that now."
She looked up at him and noticed he didn't look confused anymore, instead he was looking at her like. . . like she got it, like he knew now that she hadn't been helping him out of pity or guilt but because she really got it. Really understood what he was going through.
«»
The next day they walked the rest of the way to Heartland and Addy had brought up the internet and all the funny videos she'd watched to pass the time way back Pre-Z. This of course led them to the topic of how much 10K really hadn't seen when it came to popular culture.
"What about the video, where a cat totally protects a toddler from an attacking dog?" Addy asked 10K as they walked and Bailey kicked a can down the road. "Like comes tearing around claws and fangs and the dog turns tail and scrams?"
"We only used the internet for ordering guns." 10K replied, "And even then the computer wasn't in our house it was down at the ranger's station."
Addy sighed sounding disappointed in 10K's lack of internet use Pre-Z. "Okay, keyboard cat. Okay, you've got to have seen keyboard cat, he was everywhere."
"Oh yeah, I think I heard of him. He like. . . types?" 10K asked looking at the red head only to get another disappointed look, "What's the deal with cat videos anyway? Dogs are way cooler."
"Dogs can't play piano." Addy said.
"Why does everyone have to be either a dog person or a cat person?" Bailey asked with her hands in her pockets kicking the metal tin to the side of the road and leaving it there, "We had a dog and a cat growing up. Why does everyone think you have to pick one?"
"These fields need to be harvested." Warren said getting their attention back to their mission as they approached the town and saw rolling hills of fields of wheat. "They're gonna seed."
"Friend of mine helped me move a group of Talkers from here to Limbo." Addy said, "But I don't know how many live humans are left to work the fields."
They continued down the road until they came to a sign that said 'Heartland' and Addy asked Warren what their plan was.
"Make contact with the locals and see what we find about what's in these bizkits." She replied.
"And then what?" Addy asked, "What's our endgame here?"
"Help George with this idea first. A new country."
"I don't think we're the nation building types." Addy said continuing to walk down the road away from them. 10K's eyebrows pulled together confused and Bailey shifted her weight to rest on one hip as she watched her old best friend, wondering how much the apocalypse had changed Addy since she'd seen her last, "Ya know? More like the 'tear shit up' types."
"Whoever controls the supply of bizkits controls the new world." Warren said as they walked further into town, "We want to make sure that we got the right people in charge."
"Bodies up ahead." 10K called, "At least two of them."
"Mercied?" Warren asked as he ran over to check them out.
"Looks like it." He called back.
"Yeah, there's another one here." Addy called branching off too, "And another." She turned the body over with her Z Whacker, "Farm workers."
"Looks like somebody didn't want these bizkits to be made." Warren said.
"Without bizkits any hope for a united Newmerica will crumble." Bailey said.
"Hey do you hear that?" 10K asked and they all quieted down as whispers reached their ears.
"Feed us." "Come out." "Feed us." "Bizkits."
They all drew their weapons as they walked toward the sounds of the voices. The calls got louder as they made their way through the broken cars around an old mechanic's lot and they split up to weave between the vehicles checking for people. Bailey hated the idea of being watched and the voices only made it creepier.
"Feed me." "Feed us." "Bizkits." "Please." "Feed us." "Come out." "Brains." "Feed me."
"10K. Head's up." She heard Addy say as she came out from around a van and saw 10K turn and draw his rifle on someone approaching them.
"I see him." 10K replied looking through his scope.
"No, no, don't shoot. That's a Talker." Addy stopped him.
"Are you sure? He looks pretty bad." 10K asked uncertain as the Talker hobbled in their direction, its glazed eyes looking hungry.
"She's right. If he's still talking, he might know something." Warren said putting her gun away and raising her hands in surrender. "Follow my lead."
"I love it when she says that." Addy said though she sounded the opposite as she raised her hands too. 10K dropped his rifle and it swung along his leg from the strap he'd made across his torso. Bailey put her gun back in its holster too but she didn't raise her hands. Instead she kept them by her sides in case she needed to grab a weapon quickly.
"We come in peace!" Warren shouted, "We hear that you're hungry! But we don't have any bizkits! But we can help you!" she said as the whispers went on and soon Talkers came out of hiding from all around them.
"Hungry." "Feed us." "Bizkits." "Please." "Brains."
"What happens when Talkers stop talking?" 10K asked nervously as the Talkers swarmed them forcing them all to stand in a circle back to back to back.
"Uh, I'm guessin' . . .not good." Warren said clearly getting nervous now too.
"I don't want to hurt you!" Addy shouted before turning to their team, "Guys we are drawing a crowd we gotta get out of here."
"Okay look." Warren said, "There's a farmhouse in the distance. Let's make this non-lethal. On three. One. Two –"
"Somebody's coming!" 10K shouted as they turned and saw a car barreling toward them. George got out when Doc hit the brakes and the Talkers scattered.
"Get in!" She shouted and they all piled in quickly. 10K, Addy and George filled the back while Bailey sat between Warren and Doc in the front as he drove off.
"Oh good timing." Warren said breathing heavily.
"We got your message from Kaya." George told her.
"Awesome."
"Where you headed?" Doc asked.
"Farmhouse. It's right up ahead." Addy said.
"Good cuz thats about all the gas we got left."
«»
"I think we're running on fumes." Doc said as he stopped the car in front of the farmhouse and they all got out of the vehicle. They quickly made their way inside and secured the door behind them as George and 10K moved a chair to hold it. Warren went to look out the window and Bailey followed Addy to the back of the room. Addy went one way and Bailey peeked through another doorway into a kitchen with her gun held in front of her but she saw no one. No people, no Talkers and no Z's. She lowered her gun thankful they could take a breather and she moved back into the living room and started looking through cabinets and drawers to see if there was any useful supplies. What would be nice was if someone had maybe left a stash of bizkits but she knew they were never that lucky.
"Talkers." 10K said now looking out the window with George and Warren. "They're hiding in the wheat."
"They look hungry." George said.
"But they haven't turned yet." Warren said. "What are they eating?"
"I know!" Someone shouted behind them making them all turn and draw their weapons. Standing by the front door was a man with long scraggly blonde hair wearing a baseball cap. He slowly lifted the cap and Bailey almost vomited all over the floor when she saw his head had been cracked open like an egg.
"Brains." The man said bending over so they could see that some pieces of his brain were missing.
Warren put her gun away and approached the man. She smiled at him and he smiled back, she was able to get him to sit down and talk to them and Bailey, though freaked out by his head wound, thought he seemed nice enough.
"So the Talkers have been eating your brains?" Warren asked gently.
"Everybody wants a piece of Charlie." He said scratching the side of his head.
"Hey, Charlie what happened here?" Addy asked in a soft voice.
"Uh, I forgot. I think they ate that part." he said scratching his head again and putting his hat back on.
"So are you alone? Is anybody else here?" Warren asked.
"I'm not sure." He said and Warren looked over his shoulder at George who was looking out the window with an unreadable expression on her face. Unreadable to everyone else but Bailey still picked up something, she looked sad and angry. Bailey couldn't tell why, maybe it was how fast the dream of Newmerica had spiraled out of control that was starting to get to her. She noticed 10K leave the room and head into the kitchen she'd cleared earlier but instead of following him to make sure he was alright she gave him his space. After having both her and Red on his back about his wrist and trying to get his mind off it – which was unsuccessful – she didn't want to tag along and annoy him too much. Maybe Doc or Addy could make him feel better in a way she couldn't, she thought remembering how 10K had opened up to Addy at the bakery.
"That's not true." She heard Doc say as he walked over to George snapping Bailey out of her thoughts.
"It is true Doc." George replied, "It is. He put his trust in me. In what I believed in. And it got him killed."
"What? You got Dante killed?" Addy asked.
"Hey, what happened?" Warren asked taking George's hands. When she didn't reply Warren turned to Doc.
"Vigilantes got him. Killed the captain and his guard too. Probably the same bastards that killed the others."
Warren turned to George and gave her a hug as she broke down crying on her shoulder.
"They chopped him up into pieces." She got out between sobs. "And put him in a trashcan. . . He did it for me. He was still alive. . . I had to mercy him. Who would do that?"
"Who would do that?" Addy asked in a snappy tone, "Humans." She sneered and Bailey turned to her confused. Then she saw the small bite on the back of Addy's hand, it was the smallest bite she'd ever seen and if it hadn't turned Addy then that meant it must be Lucy's bite. Addy was a blend?
"Maybe not." Doc said. "Maybe Talkers. They left a sign saying 'This is what happens to traitors.'"
"You know, Newmerica would be a much better place if you just got rid of all the people." Addy said.
"Maybe the zombies got it right, screw everyone." Doc said in agreement.
Bailey couldn't stand to hear any more of this and she headed into the kitchen, 10K was at the sink with his back to her but she barely even paid him any attention, she was too busy trying to keep it together. But he noticed her as she leaned back on the cabinets and put her hand to her mouth to try and prevent the crying that was trying to start again. It felt like she'd been doing a lot of crying since the bombings, just taking one loss after another and she wasn't sure how much more she'd be able to take.
"What happened?" he asked knowing by the look on her face it was something awful. She sniffled and dropped her hand taking a deep breath.
"Dante's dead." She told him and she saw his confusion turn to shock as she took another breath, "George and Doc found him. . . chopped up in a trashcan."
She felt herself falling apart as she said it and quickly headed for the back door and went outside.
"Bailey wai –" she heard 10K call but she ignored him and headed for the barn. When she got there she sat on a bale of hay and put her head in her hands and started to cry. Carlos, then Marjorie, now Dante. And how many other Talkers? This is why you shouldn't let people in that old voice in her head told her. No, she thought, if being with 10K had taught her anything it was that the people you cared about were sometimes the only thing you had to keep you going. That even when they were gone it should only make you cherish the time you had with them even more. It was a nice thought, but it didn't make the pain of loss cut any shallower as she continued to cry.
After a while she heard the barn door open further as someone came in, she left her head in her hands as whoever it was knelt in front of her and brought a hand to her shoulder. She looked up and saw Doc looking at her concerned. Neither one of them said anything, then he pulled her in for a hug and she cried into his shoulder the way George had been crying on Warren's. He rubbed her back and let her get it all out, she hadn't been as close to Dante as George had been but she'd still known him for a long time and Doc understood her need to mourn.
"You know." He said softly when her crying had calmed down, "If you need to talk, I am a licensed therapist."
She chuckled a little and pulled away from the hug as he smiled at her, "Thanks Doc, but I don't think I'm that damaged yet."
He chuckled along with her and gave her an old white bandana he had and she wiped her eyes with it as he got up and looked around the barn. There was a setup in the corner where someone was making their own liquor so of course Doc had an interest. He took one sniff and turned to her.
"Man that'll curl your nose hairs." And she laughed again before Doc stuck his finger in and tried some. "Damn, that's some kickin' hooch."
«»
When they went back in the house they found 10K still by the sink in the kitchen. He was pulling off the metal can hook he had on his injured wrist and Bailey could tell he was trying to go slow to make it hurt less but she still saw him cringe. When he'd loosened it he pulled it off but a slime like substance stuck between the can and his wrist and 10K opened his mouth letting it hang open in horror that that was actually his wrist. The skin was a blackish reddish brown and it was oozing pus which explained the slimy like look it had. Doc moved over to behind him at the sink while Bailey waited by the peninsula countertop.
"Hey Kid how's it going?" Doc asked patting him on the shoulder and getting a better look, "Oh damn."
"It hurts like a bad mother. . ." 10K drifted off his voice sounding strained and in pain.
"Let's try to clean it off." Doc suggested turning the faucet and hoping the farm ran on its own water. It did, but the water came out black and filthy from the sputtering faucet.
"Well I don't think we should use that water." 10K said his voice still deep and groggy.
"Yeah. . . no." Doc agreed, "I got a perfect plan B."
Doc rushed out and came back a moment later with both of the mason jars of hooch he'd found.
"Okay 10K, this might sting a little." He said opening it and pouring it on 10K's wrist over the sink. 10K's mouth opened in a silent scream but he was strong enough to not let any sound come out, "Yeah that looks like it really hurts."
10K nodded looking like he could cry before he saw the second jar Doc had brought. He quickly grabbed it and started to chug it.
"No I wouldn't drink –" Doc tried to stop him but it was too late, he'd already swallowed half the jar and was still going. Some of it started to run down his chin as he lifted the jar higher and got the last drops of it. When it was gone he caught his breath, placed the glass down and turned to Doc.
"I feel great." He said calmly before turning to the sink and throwing up.
"Well that will take your mind off your hand for a while." Doc said putting the lid back on the jar while 10K had his whole head in the sink. Bailey felt her stomach flip at hearing him getting sick but did her best to hold herself together, Doc didn't need two people throwing up.
"Everything okay?" Warren asked coming into the kitchen.
"Just a little alcohol poisoning." Doc explained, "He should be fine in a day or. . . three."
"Three?" 10K asked lifting his head and turning to Doc before going right into the sink again.
"Maybe less, if you keep that up." Doc said patting 10K's back as he groaned. When he stood up again he started to stumble and Bailey got off her chair at the peninsula and helped George move it over so 10K could sit down while Warren and Doc helped steady him.
"I gotcha." Warren said leading him to the chair.
"Just relax 10K." Doc said, "And if you get the spins just put your head between your knees." Warren saw the look in his eyes and quickly moved the trashcan between his feet as 10K got sick again.
"Bailey maybe you could –" Doc began but then saw how green she looked and knew she wasn't doing well hearing 10K get sick, "Maybe wait outside and get some fresh air." He suggested and Bailey nodded and left sitting down on the back steps and taking deep breaths. With the image of Charlie's cracked open skull and Dante cut apart along with the sounds 10K was making she wasn't winning the fight against her stomach but the cool fresh air did seem to be helping.
Third Person POV
"A little help!" they heard Addy cry as she came down the stairs and into the kitchen helping some stranger walk as he leaned against her. He had brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard and his black button down shirt was open exposing a bleeding wound in his lower stomach.
"This is my friend Finn, he's been shot." Addy said quickly.
"I'm fine really." Finn assured them though he was pale and sweaty and didn't look anything close to fine. George ran forward and helped Addy get Finn onto the table in the other room while 10K was still leaning over the trashcan in the kitchen.
Doc left the Kid to help Addy's friend, thankfully the farmhouse had the medical supplies he needed to get the job done and the impromptu surgery went relatively quickly.
"Feeling better?" Addy asked once Doc had finished on Finn, eight years in the apocalypse making him an expert on fixing bullet wounds, something he'd read up on as much as he could after being helpless when 10K had been in the same position.
"Yeah, now that the bleeding's stopped." Finn replied.
"He's still alive, but he's lost a lot of blood. So keep your eye on him." Doc instructed the red head, "You are a very lucky man."
Then they heard 10K hurl again, "Ah, my next patient, if you'll excuse me." Doc said as he left to help 10K.
"Okay, how you guys know each other?" Warren interrogated, her motherly instincts kicking in.
"When some of my farmhands turned Talker, Addy was part of the network of people who helped me get them safely to Limbo." Finn said putting his white tee shirt on.
"Yeah, we just, um, kinda hit it off. And he actually helped me save a lot of Talkers." Addy said sitting on the table next to him.
"We're like Butch and Sundance." Finn said smiling at her.
"What happened to the rest of the farmers?" George asked.
"By the time I made it back , they'd all been killed. Converted to Talkers."
"And Charlie?"
"Yes?" he asked from the chair where they'd left him, "What about me?" he asked smiling.
"You, Charlie, volunteered to make the ultimate sacrifice to save all your friends." Finn said smiling at him.
"I did?"
"Yeah, ya did. We've been keeping the Talkers from turning full Z by feeding them tiny bits of Charlie's brain. Had them all rounded up and calm, ready for the trip to Limbo when somebody shot me and set them all loose. Whoever it is they don't want us making bizkit flour. They stole all the ingredients we add to the flour we mill here."
"So do you know the secret ingredient in it?" Warren asked.
"It's not brains. But beyond that I have no idea." Finn said, "I can show you what's left."
"Please." Warren accepted the offer and they headed outside.
Bailey POV
Sitting outside and taking deep breaths had helped but Bailey still hadn't moved inside. Instead she took a moment just to look out at the clear blue sky and rolling hills and let the stress of another mission, another problem, all melt away. Then the screen door opened and a moment later 10K was sitting down next to her on the concrete. He had a small tupperware bucket he set beside him but he looked better now that most of it was out of his stomach.
"How many starving Talkers do you think are out there?" he asked looking out at the fields of wheat too.
She sighed, "Enough to make big trouble for us."
Being alone with 10K used to be peaceful but now there was a part of her that cringed at it – mainly because of how good it made her feel and that came with a cost: guilt. She wasn't supposed to be spending quiet moments alone with him, she wanted him to have his space so he could think clearly when he made a decision about who he'd pursue a relationship with. And given their current circumstances she figured that was far down his to do list. So she took another deep breath and moved to stand up. What she hadn't expected was 10K's hand to shoot out and grab her arm effectively stopping her.
"10K." she sighed, "Not now."
She pulled her arm away and turned to the door but he stood up and used his body to block her way.
"I know my priorities are terrible." He said and the corner of her mouth turned up as he gave a nervous chuckle. He must have taken her small smirk as her agreeing as he continued, "No, you don't know the half of it."
"Oh really?"
She saw him bite his lip and she had to fight so hard to not reminisce about all the times her mouth had been on his, or when his lips had ghosted over her skin. Then to make it worse he licked it like he'd always seemed to do when he was nervous and Bailey had to start listing in her head all the reasons why it would be a very bad thing if she stepped forward and closed the distance between them and pulled him in for a kiss.
"You remember the nuke?"
"No." she replied sarcastically, "I forgot all about it." He chuckled and she rolled her eyes, "What about the nuke?"
He looked down at his feet, "When we were trying to get out of the blast zone and radioactive ash was falling all around us for miles, Doc was shot, we were running out of food and water and. . . and all I could think about was wanting to talk to you about that kiss."
She quirked an eyebrow in response silently asking, seriously?
"Yeah seriously." He chuckled again, "Guess my priorities have always been off."
She looked down at her feet now, "Guess so."
"I just. . . " he took a deep breath and looked at her, "always put you first I guess."
She looked up at him, their eyes meeting and something in the connection felt so deep. They stayed there keeping eye contact for much longer than a normal interaction before they heard George and Warren's voices coming around the corner of the farmhouse. Bailey cleared her throat and 10K looked away as she stepped back and saw the others walk by with a man she hadn't seen before. She got off the porch steps and joined them and noticed 10K didn't follow her.
When she caught up to the others George whispered to her that this was Finn, he worked the farm and was helping the Talkers get to Limbo. He explained that their power came from the water that flowed through the farm but the water was cut off and the stream dried up the same night as the attack on Heartland. He said they mix the powder they get into the flour they make to ship it out to the bakery in Bakersville for the bizkits.
"This is a big operation." Warren said as they walked.
"Yeah, we're pretty much the only source in the area." Finn explained, "Not just for bizkits but for all our grain. Not that much seed left, we should be getting ready to harvest to fill these up again soon." He said looking at the multiple stories high metal cylinders at the back of the farm.
"Without water and labor that's not going to get done." George said.
"All of Newmerica could starve." Addy said.
"Exactly." Finn agreed.
They saw scorch marks at the bottom of one of the cylinder structures and Warren asked, "So, you had a fire?"
"Yeah, they tried to burn it down, damn near did too. Charlie and I came out here to put it out and they attacked us."
"That how you got shot?" George asked now wearing Dante's sunglasses in the blinding sun and Bailey pulled out her old white framed ray bans.
"Yeah. Charlie got a machete to the head." Finn told them and Bailey wondered if he really volunteered to give his brains to the Talkers or if his wound had been so bad and his brain so damaged Finn had seen an opportunity and talked him into it.
"Did you get a good look at them?" George asked.
"Not really, we were being attacked from all sides."
"So, you get workers, you think you still could harvest?" Warren asked.
"I've got the workers, just got to round them up and feed them bizkits."
"We'll help ya round up some farmhands!" they heard a shout and turned to the nearest barn where Doc and 10K were standing in the door way, they hopped out simultaneously and walked over. Both of them were wearing chaps and cowboy hats and had lasso's. 10K's clothes were all black, including his lasso, and Bailey couldn't help but smirk as she saw him. He walked with a swagger in his step like he knew he looked good and he licked his lip before biting down on it and smirking.
"I was in the goat rodeo once." Doc said and 10K gestured to him like it was an impressive qualification they should all take seriously.
"Yippee tie-eh grape smuckers." 10K said in a cowboy accent still sounding a bit drunk as he tipped his hat with his metal hook and drew his lower lip under his teeth again, the corner of his mouth rising.
"Oh my God." Addy said, "What could go wrong?"
Bailey chuckled and walked over to 10K while Doc joined the others as they made a plan.
"How?" Bailey questioned, still smiling.
"What?" 10K asked, the corner of his mouth rising in a smirk.
"How do you look good in everything?" she said with a small laugh.
"Well not everything." He said putting his injured hand in his pocket. "You said I looked ridiculous in that yellow suit back at the nuclear power plant."
"I forgot about that!" she laughed remembering how funny he looked, "You pull this off better." She said tapping the brim of his hat with her finger, "Keep it."
He blushed and looked down, the brim of the black cowboy hat covering part of his face. Then he seemed to remember something as he looked back up at her and she noticed a brown hat in his hand by his leg.
"Tom –" she started to warn him but he'd already lifted the hat and plopped it onto her head. She adjusted it a bit, fixing her hair under it. Her braid had fallen out the other day just from everything she had been through in that twenty four hour period. She noticed 10K glance at her wrist while she fiddled with the hat and knew he must have noticed his bandana on her wrist along with the worn glove. She cleared her throat not wanting to make an awkward tension between them and his eyes snapped back to her.
"Well?" she asked with a shrug and he chuckled before looking her up and down. She knew she couldn't look that bad, given that her green flannel was already somewhat farmlike.
10K smiled after giving her a once over, "The cowgirl thing looks good on you."
She tried not to blush before she gently kicked at his leg, "Come on cowboy, lets go wrangle the Talkers."
Third Person POV
"Here they come." Warren said ducking behind a car with George.
"All right Charlie, that's your cue." Finn called to Charlie who was on the front porch of the farmhouse and he started rigging the dinner bell.
"All right you brain lovers. Come get your brains! Come get your brains! Fresh brains! Get your fresh brains!" he called while they all split up so they could flank the herd of Talkers as they came out of the wheat when they heard Charlie's call.
George and Warren ducked behind the barn and Doc, 10K and Bailey ducked behind some bushes and shrubs by a shed. They crouched behind a small brick wall and Doc readied his lasso. 10K took a rolled up net and started shaking it out but was having trouble with just one hand.
"Just killing stuff was a lot easier." He said frustrated and Bailey got up and helped him untangle the net.
"I know." Doc agreed, "Keeping stuff alive, way harder."
Meanwhile, Addy and Finn had ducked into the car Warren and George had been crouched behind and waited for the Talkers.
"Here they come." Addy said looking out the car window.
"Just like old times huh?" Finn chuckled.
"Like a month ago? Old times?" she asked.
"That's old for the apocalypse." He defended his statement.
"Okay, yeah."
"Anyway, I'm glad you're here. I was worried about trying to do this with just me and Charlie." He said before he groaned from the pain in his side.
"You gonna be okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He assured her as the herd got closer.
"Hot brains! Get your hot brains! How about a little siracha? Spicy, just the way you like it." Charlie said spraying siracha on his head which dripped and looked like blood.
"Hello Joe. Howdy Alma." He said with a smile as Finn and Addy jumped out of the car and lassoed the two Talkers. Meanwhile, Bailey, Doc and 10K went further into the fields and split up to go around the buildings. Doc got his lasso caught up in some farm equipment when he threw it and while he untangled it 10K went off into the wheat. He didn't see the Talker stalking him until it jumped out and charged and 10K was able to turn and get the net around him but he also caught himself and the two tumbled to the ground wrestling.
"Little help!" he called and Doc rushed over.
"Hang on partner!" he said pulling out his hammer.
"Don't mercy him!" 10K shouted.
"Oh yeah. Take it easy, calm down. Calm down!" Doc shouted wrapping his arm around the Talker's neck and lifted him off 10K but he kept flailing his arms around.
"He's too far gone!" 10K shouted still on his back.
"Okay, that's enough!" Doc said twirling his hammer around and hitting the Talker in the head with the handle, "Sorry."
"Is he dead?" 10K asked as Doc offered his hand and helped him up to his feet.
"He was already dead. I think I just stunned him. Quick let's tie him up."
Pandora POV
She walked through the fields disguised as one of the farmhand Talkers until she finally got to where she'd hidden her rifle in the wheat and knelt down and aimed for the barn. She looked through the scope and saw George walk out with Warren.
"Well it was nice while it lasted. I'm really going to enjoy this." She said smiling as she lined up her shot.
"There you are!" a shout came from much too close and she dropped the rifle in the wheat and looked over her shoulder seeing that one handed sniper as she scowled at the fact that he'd ruined her chance to take out George.
10K POV
"Come on you, it's for your own good. Hey Doc I got another one over here! We'll get you some brains. . . and you'll be human-ish in no time. It's okay mam, no need to be afraid, we're not gonna hurt you."
Then he heard a zapping electrical sound behind him and turned and saw a Talker with an electrical cattle prod in his hands. 10K's eyes widened and in the next moment he was fighting off the larger Talker. The Talker tried to jab him but 10K was able to grab his wrist and push the prod away while using his tin hand to whack the Talker in the face. He spun and knocked the Talker in the back sending him to the ground. Then the woman he'd been trying to help earlier jumped on his back and grabbed his face digging her nails into his skin. Her added weight on his back toppled him to the ground and she started kicking him before he was able to throw out his leg and trip her. But when she fell the other guy got up and pulled 10K back to the ground. He got on top of him and when 10K tried to hit him with his tin hand again he grabbed it and started shoving it back toward him. 10K tried to push his own arm back but the Talker was too strong and got the hook into his mouth and started pushing so the hook was nearly tearing out a gash in his cheek. 10K groaned in pain as the guy lifted him up then shook as that electrical zapping noise came back and the charge flowed from the Talker through 10K's metal hand and into him zapping him too and they both fell to the ground. The Talker was unconscious but 10K was only a little dizzy as Doc stood over him and helped him up.
"Sorry Kid. I couldn't help it man. You good?" Doc asked and 10K nodded.
"Yeah." He replied and swore he saw a little puff of smoke come out of his mouth.
"Alright, let's corral these two." Doc said as 10K retrieved his black hat and placed it back on his head.
Bailey POV
Bailey was carefully circling one of the barns knowing a Talker was following her but she quickly realized she had no plan to take it out non-lethally. She could always use the handle of her hatchet but that would only work if the Talker didn't get its hands on her first. Then she heard a snarl and noticed that another Talker had spotted her just as the first one made its way around the corner of the barn. Now outnumbered she took off running into a wider space between the barn and the wheat storage. The Talkers were hungry so they were slower than her and she used the distance between them to think of a plan quickly. Not far to her left was a tractor and she immediately headed over to it. Using it to get to a higher vantage point she climbed up the large tire and got on the back trying to maintain her balance. The first Talker, a woman who'd been circling the barn with her, made it to her first while the second Talker, a man in denim overalls was still stumbling to catch up. Knowing she only had a brief window of opportunity before she was outnumbered again Bailey acted. She used the handle of her hatchet and made her first strike but Talkers were smarter than zombies and the woman easily knocked the weapon from Bailey's hands making her recoil and climb higher on the tractor. As she did the Talker woman found the step that helped her get up onto the machine too and Bailey quickly ducked into the drivers seat to avoid her. Then a light bulb went off and she waited while the woman climbed into position. Standing precariously on the metal step and pawing at the window Bailey grabbed the inner door handle and shoved it open hitting the woman in the head and making her fall off the tractor and into the hay. Bailey grabbed some rope from her pocket and jumped from the tractor before she started tying the woman's hands behind her back as she wiggled on the ground and tried to get up again. Bailey didn't let her until she'd safely secured her hands and held her by the wrists as the second Talker caught up. Bailey dodged his stumble toward her and used the first Talker as a shield as the man hit himself into the side of the tractor. The woman snapped at Bailey from over her own shoulder as Bailey goaded the man.
"Come on. You want brains? This way. This way, come on." And he stumbled after her as she backed up with the Talker woman in tow as she backpedaled toward the corral.
Doc and 10K were already there stuffing their own collected Talkers inside while the others sat on the sidelines catching their breath. Bailey joined them and seeing her in need of help Addy ran over and lassoed the man and dragged him along too. Bailey gave her friend a thankful smile as they walked not moving too quick so the Talkers wouldn't fall over their own feet.
"Addy?" she asked and the red head hummed, "Thanks for talking to 10K, the other day at the bakery."
Addy turned her one eye to her before she shrugged, "I just get it. You know?"
"Yeah." Bailey replied, "It's been hard getting through to him. I'm glad you were able to." Then she gestured at Addy's bangs that were covering her bad eye, "Was that from falling off the cliff?"
Addy nodded briefly looking at the ground, "I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for Lucy." She replied and Bailey saw her glance down at her hand. She'd heard about what happened to Murphy's daughter and really knew no way to comfort Addy though she was grateful to Lucy for saving Addy's life with her bite. Neither one knew how to continue the conversation after that, thankfully they didn't have to. They were close enough to the corral now that 10K opened the gate as they led their Talkers in and untied them. Then he closed it behind them once they got all the Talkers in.
"What is it we're doing again?" Charlie asked.
"We're gonna feed the Talkers so they don't turn zombie." Doc answered.
"Right. . . what are we feeding them with?"
"Uh well, actually, brains. Your brains." Doc replied again as 10K turned his head down and used the brim of his hat to cover his face.
"Oh yeah." Charlie remembered with a smile. "Well, let's get started."
They fed the Talkers Charlie's brains while Warren, Addy, Bailey, George and Finn talked off by the barn.
"We need to find out who's trying to cut off the supply of these bizkits." Warren said.
"Couldn't be Talkers." George said, "Wouldn't make any sense."
"Unless you were trying to stir up a revolution." Warren pointed out, "Look people and Talkers are easier to manipulate if they're starving. . . "
"We can't let the worst of us win." George said, "We need to fix this country now while we still have a chance. Dante died trying to unite humans and Talkers. Whoever killed him needs to be brought to justice."
"Look, we need Talkers more than they need us." Finn spoke up, "This world belongs to the dead now. Not us."
"Maybe it's not our land to claim anymore." Addy added.
"What?" George asked, "So what, we just give it all to the zombies? No the Talkers need us too, we both need each other to survive. We can't do this alone, that's why we need a new country, a future we can all have a stake in –"
"So far this new country of yours has done nothing except getting people killed, including Dante." Addy said a bit aggressively.
George paused before she spoke again, "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm responsible for Dante's death. And that is something that will haunt me until my mercy comes. But it is not up to you to judge me."
"Not everybody shares your dreams. And certainly not your way of doing things." Addy replied her tone soft but still deadly. Bailey looked between her and George and then noticed something over Addy's shoulder. One of the Talker's in the pen with light pink bangs, a hat and half her face covered in porcelain was watching their conversation. Pandora? She wasn't a hundred percent sure, she'd only ever seen the woman from a distance in Altura; she'd have to get closer to get a better look and turning back to Addy and George she knew this wasn't the time to add more problems to the mess they were in already unless she was positive.
"Okay, we're on the same team here." Warren said bringing them back to the topic at hand, "There's no time for politics. Like it or not we are fighting the same fight together. We are at war, and we don't even know who the hell we're fighting!"
They broke their group apart but didn't go far as Doc and 10K finished feeding Charlie's brain to the Talkers. He only had a little piece left and sat down with Finn as he sang 'Daisy, Daisy' and Finn finally plucked the last bit of brain from his skull and gave him mercy.
«»
"Even if we weren't under attack the crops would die from drought." Finn told them as Bailey rejoined the conversation just as they were about to head off. Warren was still trying to fix the mess in Heartland before continuing their mission to find this secret ingredient for bizkits. "They cut off our water supply."
"Who controls the water?" Addy asked.
"The Waterkeepers." George and Bailey replied. George was back to wearing Dante's sunglasses as Bailey wore hers, the cowgirl hat 10K had given her hanging behind her head as the string for her chin rested along her neck.
"A group of first nation peoples that settled the reservoir. They operate the dam." George explained.
"They cut off our flow of water and the hydro-electricity right after the first attack. Haven't been able to make contact with them since." Finn said.
"I know the Chief. He was a civil engineer Pre-Z, he's the one that runs the dam. He'll know what's going on." George told them.
"Well, we're going to go talk to some Waterkeepers." Warren said.
"You follow the irrigation ditch the whole way it'll take you right to them." Finn said pointing in the direction they needed to go. "Normally it'd be a swim this time of year. I'll stay here, watch the Talkers, as soon as they're ready to travel I'll take them to Limbo."
Bailey saw Addy give Finn a long kiss before they left and followed the irrigation toward the Waterkeepers land.
"My hand hurts like it was still there." Bailey heard 10K say from her place at the back of the group.
"Oh there's a name for that, Phantom Limb Syndrome." Doc explained as Addy, George and Warren led them on. "It's when the brain thinks the hand is still there so it keeps sending these pain signals. But don't worry it eventually works itself out and the brain just starts to ignore it."
"I don't think my brain is ever going to get used to this." He said as Bailey jogged a little to stand beside him. She lifted her sunglasses to the top of her head and rubbed his back earning a very small but appreciative smile from 10K.
"Looks like there hasn't been water here in a while." Addy said looking at the dry ground.
"I just can't figure out why the Waterkeepers would just cut off the water and the power." Warren pondered aloud.
"Maybe they don't want to be a part of George's world order." Addy muttered though she didn't seem to be trying to hide her distaste for George's ideas.
"There's some truth to that." George admitted, "They're very independent, and they've been burned before but the Chief's a very smart man, very fact oriented. He saw that the positives outweighed the negatives. He supported the referendum. I don't know, maybe there's trouble at the dam –"
Then 10K stumbled right into Bailey and she and Doc had to catch him.
"Hey are you okay Kid?" Doc asked holding him steady.
"Oh yeah, I think I'm just hungover."
Doc put his hand to 10K's forehead, "Man you're burning up!" he exclaimed.
"Baby boy. . ." Warren said like a scolding mother who knew she was being lied to.
"I'm fine." 10K whined again.
"You're not fine!" Doc snapped, "The Kid needs antibiotics. Is there anything back at the farm?"
"I think we used the last of it on Finn." Addy sighed.
"The Waterkeepers will have something." George said.
"Oh yeah we know all about that Native American medicine." Doc said smiling and turning to 10K who gave him a look then everyone but George said at once.
"But we were nowhere near the Grand Canyon."
"But we were nowhere near the Grand Canyon."
"But we were nowhere near the Grand Canyon."
She gave them all a suspicious look, "Okay. If you say so."
Then they heard three shots in the distance.
"It's a distress signal." George said.
"It's coming from the farm. Finn!" Addy said worried as they rushed back.
"Doc, get 10K and take cover, we'll be right back!" Warren said as they left the two guys behind. Addy was first to arrive on the scene and found Finn lying on his back under a tree with a bleeding wound on his head.
"Finn!" she cried kneeling beside him, "What happened?"
"Two of the Talkers jumped me, set the others free." He groaned.
"Alright we'll go get them." Warren said as she, George and Bailey all took off for the fields.
Bailey POV
Bailey had just gotten another Talker and George rushed over and grabbed it by the arm as she tugged a second Talker over leading them away to the corral. Luckily the brains they had fed them were keeping the Talkers more cooperative then the first time they did this and Bailey went deeper into the field to find more. As she walked she found the one with the pink hair and the hat she'd wanted to get a closer look at before and when she turned Bailey saw that very familiar porcelain mask and when the person turned their good eye to her and saw the recognition on her face Bailey saw them audibly curse to themselves and knew her suspicions had been right.
Pandora ran at her and before she could grab a weapon the Talker had flung her to the ground straddling her. Bailey hit her in the face but that only angered Pandora more as she brought her hands to Bailey's throat and squeezed.
"I knew you recognized me in that pen." She said as Bailey clawed at her hands but Pandora was wearing leather gloves and Bailey's scratching didn't loosen her grip, "Has anyone ever told you you're too smart for your own good?"
Then Bailey kicked Pandora off her and got to her knees trying to get away. She needed George or Warren, after a whole day of wrangling Talkers Bailey's energy was spent while Pandora was a freshly fed Talker which meant she was at her strongest. Pandora grabbed her ankle and pulled making Bailey fall flat on her face. She tried to kick her and crawl away but it didn't work as she felt Pandora crawl over her keeping her down in the wheat and dirt. Bailey rolled until she had the upper hand and was on top as she grabbed Pandora's shoulders and tried to keep her pinned down. Then quick as a whip Pandora's arm shot across her face but it wasn't her hand that hit her, it was something she was holding and Bailey fell over onto the ground as her vision spun. She rolled onto her back and saw Pandora get up with a rock in her hand and a smile on her face before she hit Bailey in the head again and everything went black.
Third Person POV
Finn had bled out and turned Talker by the time Warren and George came back, they saw the look on Addy's face and knew what must have happened.
"Welcome back." Warren said trying to be enthusiastic which he seemed to appreciate as he got up.
"Good to be back."
"George and I are going to catch up with Doc, 10K and Bailey."
"I'm gonna stay here with Finn." Addy said, "Just to help him get these Talkers back to Limbo. But after that. . . "
"Sure." Warren said, "Love you sis." She said hugging her, "Take care of each other."
"See you in Newmerica." George said when Addy hugged her to.
"Keep dreaming." The red head replied this time with a lighter tone in her voice.
"Somebody has to." George replied with a smile.
10K POV
"Where the hell are they?" Doc asked as they waited for the others to come back. 10K was sitting on some broken concrete they'd found at the edge of the farm and was checking on his wrist again as Doc paced. He groaned in pain when he got the tin hook off his stump and saw his skin had turned even more purple and bruised looking now.
"Damn Kid." Doc said coming over and looking at his wrist, "Well. . . seems to be healing okay. All that red irritated skin is bruising. Look if Warren and them aren't back soon, we should just head to the dam without them. How you feeling? You look better." He said bringing his hand to 10K's forehead again, "Your fever broke. Have a sip." Doc said passing him an open canteen and he took a swig before passing it back as Doc recapped it and started pacing again.
"I sure hope these Waterkeepers are friendly. . . you got to be kidding." He said then he fell backwards in front of 10K and he saw Doc had an arrow in his shoulder.
"Doc!" he shouted with wide eyes before something pierced him in the side of his arm and he was knocked out.