Chapter 14.

It was the kind of dark, drizzling morning that sent a chill straight through your body into your core. The sky was gray, with puffs of charcoal storm clouds drifting in from the coast. Despite a dreamless sleep for almost nine hours, my body felt achy and in need of more.

Blaze was ready to go. She'd been to the market street and back and brought food. An unusually civil gesture. Hardboiled eggs and more of the dreaded kale soup.

Usually, Valtown would be waking up by this time, but, today, the sounds were absent.

"Market street was dead. Only a skeleton crew working food and supply distribution." She crunched away at a handful of something freeze dried. It smelled like fruit as I approached.

"They're afraid. Any idea what Arbuckle told them officially?" I sat down at the table and slurped up the soup. It wasn't bad. Today's tasted like they made it with chicken broth. The fatty broth warmed my core.

"The basics. Group of Zs spotted nearby as well as a large group of crazies. Nothing specific though. Security on the wall is tight."

There was a knock on the door. Blaze answered, finding Lasko and Ghost waiting.

Ghost seemed like a misnomer. He was nearing 7 feet tall and his skin was so dark it seemed to absorb light. Like Lasko, his hair was cut close to his head. His beard wasn't a fashion statement so much as lack of interest in shaving. When he spoke, he used the minimum amount of words to convey the maximum amount of information.

They wore heavy jackets and boots. Lasko donned a somewhat silly fur hat that had flaps covering her ears. Neither had brought much gear beside packs and some blades, knowing Blaze and I would outfit them at munitions.

I downed the rest of my soup and chewed up the eggs as we walked. Outside was miserable. Rain misted my face and beaded on my coat.

Like Blaze said, the town was dead. It only made the giddy energy between us all the more intense as eyes peeped from behind shanties and windows, watching the four of us walk the deserted streets.

Already the rain washed away the mucky smell of dirty people and crowded streets. I choked down the last bite of overcooked egg and tilted my face upward. The weather was going to get worse. I wondered if it would make it harder for Ghost to track the tire marks.

Munitions was part of the original storage unit settlement, but it now took up eight units. Three were used for storing weapons, two for the machines used to make new ammo, one for explosive and explosive-related equipment, and two for miscellaneous gear and broken items that needed fixing.

The units comprising it were on the outer side of the buildings, so the garage doors could be pushed open during active hours, letting fresh air get in. Makeshift awnings were built to stop water from splashing in on days like this. The sound of rain pattering on the blue tarps was soothing.

The guys that ran it, always to my surprise, weren't military like those who manned the walls and did other jobs for Arbuckle. I think he kept it that way because there was camaraderie between the military folks that went deeper than their allegiance to a self-proclaimed leader. The past showed they'd make exceptions for their own, which is why he phased them out. They would give out ammo to people they weren't supposed to. Lasko and Ghost used to work in munitions at one point, but both had been kicked out after a few guns went missing unreported.

Whatever they'd done, I was on their side. From what I knew of Ghost and Lasko, they wouldn't do something like that for no reason.

Long story short, the guys there now made it hard to get what you needed.

When we walked in, it smelled like gunpowder and was loud. All the case cleaners, presses, and other ammo reloading equipment were in full spin, each of them manned. The process required no electricity, but ample raw materials and time. Arbuckle was getting ready for a war.

The guy in charge was a squat little man who seemed to be fatter than was reasonable, considering how everyone was supposed to have rationed food. His name was Gary and he hated that I was more important than he was. Blaze and I came in at least once a week to gear up, but it wasn't because we were being tyrants. It was always before or after a job for Arbuckle. That's what made me angry, but his attitude was unjustified.

Gary's chest puffed out the moment he saw me. He abandoned hassling someone at the case cleaning station to come over.

I never did anything to deserve his resentment. Unless you count when I broke his nose over a tiff about taking an extra box of .223.

"No one told me you'd be here today." His tone was hesitant as he sized up Lasko and Ghost. "We're really busy, as you could imagine. The town is on lockdown."

There were two ways to deal with a person like this. Sweet talk them or scare them. I was about to take the latter option when Ghost stepped forward. He leaned down, a foot at least, to put his mouth close to Gary's ear.

I couldn't hear it, but whatever Ghost said made Gary's eyes wide and his mouth formed a shocked 'O.' His jowls quivered as he shook his head.

"Here's the keys to storage. Whatever you need." Gary fumbled as he pulled two keys off the ring hanging at his hip. "Check out what you take on the chart by the door. Please."

Ghost took the keys, his large hand engulfing them. I didn't hide my smirk as we left the reload unit and walked two doors down to the other units. I wondered what Ghost said to the man.

The gun storage room was a survivalist's wet dream. Actually, it was anyone's wet dream in the apocalypse, myself included. Racks and racks of guns, anything you could imagine, against the walls and in the center of the unit. Two racks had guns that were considered unlikely to be used: collector's pieces or vintage weapons found in homes and storage units that were raided. They could technically be fired, but weren't meant to be unless you had to.

"We should take suppressors for this, just in case," Lasko said, running her hands over a variety of metal cylinders resting on a shelf. "Damn, being around all this metal makes me feel high as a kite." Her voice was airy, happy.

Even Blaze's mood always brightened up in here.

I found the M4s, my favorite assault rifle since the beginning, and did a takedown on it to inspect all the parts.

The workers were supposed to clean and maintain the guns, as per a constantly rotating maintenance and inspection schedule. And it was flawless up until Arbuckle removed the people with real weapons experience. Some of the guys in there now couldn't reassemble a Glock if their life depended on it.

After one experience, I checked my weapons each time I took them from munitions. Blaze and I were under fire from a small group of raiders on our way to a tiny settlement. My rifle wouldn't fire, forcing me to use my handgun for the entire ordeal. I discovered it hadn't been reassembled properly after a cleaning.

The M4 was fine, but I felt reassured knowing I'd inspected it myself. I outfitted it with a suppressor and took eight extra mags, since I could, and set it in the rifle sheath. I holstered a Sig Mosquito on my thigh in addition to the Glock I usually carried, and put a suppressor in my vest. The little .22 wasn't visually impressive-not like the H&K USP tactical .45 I saw Lasko taking-but it was accurate, light, and good for silencing. I nabbed a kukri and attached it to the front of my backpack. The up and over draw never looked cool, but it put me in the right position to do real damage with the blade. With the two other blades and knuckles Lasko gave to me, I felt ready.

Overkill? Never.

The other three outfitted themselves with similar weaponry. It was comforting to be around people who I knew could handle themselves. We finished tightening straps and securing gear. Lasko insisted we write down what we took as Gary requested.

"He's a dick, sure, but keeping inventory goes beyond that," she said as she checked off boxes and scribbled what we'd taken.

I pulled on my pack, adjusted to the weight of it with the rifle, and raised my hood up as we exited the storage room. The rain picked up while we were getting our gear.

We were going to get a car and leave through the front gate. We could walk to the location, using up about half a day, but there was no telling how far we'd need to drive if we picked up on a trail.

Checking out a car and two motorcycles ended up being drastically easier than taking guns, especially since we weren't trying to get one of the heavy duty cars like a Humvee or Hummer. Ghost wanted a nondescript two door, stating it would be quieter and less suspicious. Indeed, the thing was a P.O.S, the color of rust since it was mostly made of it. Blaze and Ghost took the motorcycles as backup.

I drove the car and Lasko rode shotgun. The guards who were working there today ended up being two of Lasko's friends who let us through without too many questions. I didn't even have to lie and say we were going on a mission for Arbuckle. Lasko told them we were, "going for a drive. None of your business," and they laughed like it was an inside joke, then out we went.

The interior of the car smelled faintly of urine, but mostly just old metal and cracking leather. The carpeted floor had faint stains on it that looked like blood. We wouldn't be off-roading or hitting any zombies with it, but it would do.

The windshield wipers struggled, not because of the rain but because they were on the verge of deteriorating. I had to squint to see through, and I reduced my speed.

"Feels good to get out again," Lasko said. "Haven't left Valtown in what? About six months maybe? You guys go out all the time. It must be great. Free to roam, free to do what you want."

"We don't do whatever we want," I said.

I knew they were friends, but I was never sure how much Blaze told Lasko. Most were under the impression we were freestyle gods, walking among the outside world and settlements like we were untouchable.

"Fuck, sweetie, I know." Lasko clicked her tongue. "I just mean, the rest of us can't come and go freely and expect to be welcome in Valtown."

I gave a noncommittal grunt and shrugged. I didn't know what to tell her. Lasko gave up, humming a song to herself to pass the time.

The forest passed by in a blur of dark greens and browns. Tufts of grass and sticker bushes grew up from the cracks in the highway, some of which were easy to drive through, others easier to navigate around. I wondered how much longer we'd be able to use the roads before, without the maintenance they needed, they'd be unfit.

The trees started giving way to grassier land and I spotted the house in the distance. It was exactly as it was when we left it. The faint tire marks and trails we'd seen on our first visit were still there.

We parked, and as soon as everyone was out I gave another rundown on the house. "Two stories, plus basement. Tire marks leading to the house are ours. Over to the right are the marks leading away and towards the forest that we saw the first time. Carport was reported to have a vehicle under it. Mess of dead bodies in the basement."

Lasko and Ghost nodded. Lasko's attitude shifted the moment we were in go mode. Her brow furrowed slightly and her jaw set. It was a good reminder that she was dangerous. The bubbly attitude switched off like a light.

"I need someone to watch my back," Ghost said. The first words he'd spoken since he whispered to Gary. "Someone needs to clear the house again."

Blaze and Lasko volunteered to check the house. I suspected they wanted to share a quick smoke. I didn't mind sticking with Ghost. Maybe I'd learn something. Plus the house must've smelled disgusting by now with the corpses in the basement. No, I'd take the fresh cold air any day. Maybe not the rain, which dampened my hearing as well as my body, but it was better than smoke and rot.

I withdrew the M4 and shouldered it, following Ghost as he walked around the perimeter of the house. Lasko and Blaze went up the back steps and disappeared through the doorway.

We went to the carport first. Ghost crouched in the center, studying the cement. He brushed aside dead leaves and walked around. It didn't seem like much to me, but I didn't know how to track and wasn't in a position to criticize.

The area around the house was clear. There was a river nearby. There had to be since the house was designed to handle floods. It would be a good place for the Brotherhood to stay close to since they'd have access to water and animals that frequented it.

Fields of stubby grass, patches of high grass, and bramble surrounded the house, stopping abruptly at the forest. The forest was sparse, the trees spaced far enough apart that a car could drive through.

Finally Ghost made his way to the tire marks. He spent only moments looking at them before standing.

"Fresh."

"Four days ago fresh, or today fresh?"

He nodded. "Today. Within the past hour. Grass is compacted and the bend in it is fresh. Don't you smell that?"

Smell what? I inhaled deeply. I smelled remnants of the car's scent clinging to me. Pine trees, raindrops. A tinge of ozone in the air. A bad storm was coming.

"Oil," Ghost said.

I inhaled slowly. Maybe there was a trace of oil underneath it all. It was hard to pick up on. I could easily be imagining it since Ghost planted the idea in my head.

"There was new oil leakage in the carport. Someone has been here recently."

It wasn't bad news. It was good news, if anything. But it didn't stop a chill, unrelated to the cold, from running up my back. We were getting close to the Brotherhood.

Blaze and Lasko came back from searching the house. There was an edge to their demeanor that was very different from when they went in. Blaze's eyes were hard as she spoke. "The bodies are gone. All of them. Someone came to retrieve them."

"Ghost says someone was here today. Tracks are all new."

"Yeah, I smell gas or oil in the air. Maybe they're driving a real clunker," Lasko said.

Damn. Was I the only one not picking up on things today?

"We follow the trail until we can't any more. It could lead to their main base, or at least more people. If there are only a few, we'll take all of them out but one and interrogate."

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Blaze's mouth. Interrogation was one of her favorite things to do, mostly because of her reputation to skew the balance of violence and question asking.

"Drive or walk?" I asked Ghost.

He shrugged. "Up to you. We drive, they'll hear us coming for certain. We walk, it takes longer but we'll be able to sneak up on them."

I'd packed four day's worth of modestly rationed food. The rest of them packed about the same. We all knew enough about the basics of hunting and foraging at this point that we'd make it even if the trip took longer.

"Let's hide the car and bikes up the road and set out. We have at least five hours of light left."

I parked the car off the side of the road. It wasn't the best hiding spot. You'd see it immediately if you drove right by it, but from the house it wasn't visible. There were no traces of us in the car, so even if someone did find it they wouldn't know what we were up to. The motorcycles were much easier to push into the forest.

My boots were muddied and wet by the time we walked back to the house. Thunder cracked, and I knew my gear would need a good cleaning after this was over. The guns would have to be stripped and oiled.

Ghost took point and the rest of us fanned out behind him, covering all sides. The rain felt different in the forest. Lighter, save for the occasional fat drop falling from the trees. The path grew harder to follow once we entered. Ghost slowed down as we got farther in.

We climbed a crest, and almost reached the peak when we all stopped. It was quiet, carried by the wind, but it was there: voices. Ghost motioned for us to go low.

We crouched as we approached the top of the crest. It took a sharp drop downward into a valley. It seemed to be an old stone quarry. A huge circular area dipped straight into the earth, surrounded by huge piles of gravel and stone.

We moved left, far away from the trail we'd been following, since more might come or some might leave.

Once hidden and prone, we assessed. Green canvas tents and regular camping tents were set up near the center of the quarry. I counted four, but my sight was blocked by a giant mountain of gravel. There could be nothing behind it or more tents. Outside the tents, bodies were lined up side by side. I wondered if they might be the ones from the house.

If there was any doubt these people were from the Brotherhood, it was gone when I spotted people chained to a post in the center of the camp. They were on their knees, huddling together. The crazies would shout at them, and some kicked them each time they walked by, which was frequent.

"Food," I whispered to Lasko, who was glaring ferociously at the scene. "Entertainment."

We watched for another ten minutes, taking time to study their movements and count them. There were twenty crazies in total, unless some stayed inside the tents. Some congregated around a big army transportation truck, the only vehicle on the premise. Two of them worked on it. Others stood near a big bonfire, trying to keep it lit in the rain.

"What's our move?" Ghost asked.

When I said we'd take them out if there were a few, I meant five or six. Not twenty. But it was doable, if we wanted to. We had the advantage of surprise and high ground. I didn't doubt the crazies could shoot, but if they were anything like they used to be, it was every man for himself. Once under fire, some would make a run for it and cut down the numbers we had to take out.

I scanned the quarry again. If we spread out, we'd have almost 180 degrees of coverage around the camp. Then we'd just have to pick them off. Ghost was deadly with his sniper rifle, and no doubt could take out a quarter of them before they knew what was happening.

"We cover this half of the quarry," I said. "Take cover and snipe as many as we can. Lasko, Ghost, you stay up here and cover Blaze and me. Once things get quiet, we'll move in and finish off stragglers, and hopefully find one to question."

Lasko shook her head. "What about when they turn?"

I couldn't resist. "Only get headshots. Problem solved."

She rolled her eyes and ignored me. "We regroup and move in after the initial onslaught. It's safer."

"Fine. Commence in ten. Got it?"

Everyone checked their watches and synched them up. We divided the camp into quarters according to location, with the intention of eliminating crazies in every section for even coverage.

We separated. Blaze and I made the longest trek around the quarry, eventually settling thirty feet apart. Through the misty rain, I tried finding Lasko and Ghost. They'd taken good cover. Even though I knew they were there, they were hard to spot.