Dead Frontier/Issue 97

This is Issue #97 of Dead Frontier by Walkerbait22, titled Don't Worry. This is the first issue in Volume 17.

Issue 97 - Don't Worry
"Holy. Shit," Cole says, slowly inching toward the wrecked gate. Griffin, his eyes filled with tears as he gawks at the wreckage, stands to Cole's left. The infected seem to have followed the source of the noise, too, as several infected corpses lie among the dead.

"This can't be fucking happening right now. Oh, my God..." Griffin groans.

Cole, deciding it's best not to try and console him, begins assisting a few others in pushing away the heaps of metal. It looks like nearly every single guard succumbed to the attack; only one shows any kind of movement, but he's on the brink of death, three bullet holes decorating his chest. Cole notices a woman reaching for her belt. She retrieves a small pistol and before she can fire the shot that'll end the dying guard's misery, Cole cringes and looks away.

Griffin finally seems to come to his senses and begins barking out orders to those still outside. He demands half to go deal with the few infected he can see roaming the long city street and the many more that are sure to follow. The other half stays, moving the bodies of guards and infected to a secluded area behind the hotel.

Cole completely disregards the orders and proceeds to the hotel to see the damage himself. The lobby is completely unrecognizable; furniture lies in broken, wooden piles, the walls are tarnished with bullet holes, the occasional body lies on the floor in a mangled mess.

He then hears a scream from above, followed by another. Sensing possible danger, he and a few others scramble to the stairs, up to the second floor. No one's in trouble, but a woman is on her knees in the doorway of one of the rooms, sobbing hysterically as Tora tries to lead her away. Cole spots Billie staring into the room, unmoving. He knows whatever's in there can't be good, but he pushes past people to see anyway, until Billie finally snaps from her daze.

"Don't look in there. You really don't want to see," she warns, and she grabs him by the elbow, pulling him away before he can look.

"What happened?" he asks.

"They got into some of the rooms," she says after a bit of hesitation. "It's--it's a mess." It's the least amount of detail she can give, but Cole's imagination goes to work, and he decides it's best for his own sanity to squash his curiosity about the room right now.

He turns his focus on her instead; she looks unstable, ready to burst into tears any second, but knowing her, she'll try her best not to. He puts his hands on her shoulders.

“Okay. How about you go upstairs, back to your room? We’ll--” he begins.

“No, I’m gonna...I--I need to help clean up, or gather--”

“No, you don’t. You don’t look too good, and we’ve got more than enough people to help out.”

She thinks about protesting but decides against it, realizing he’s right and even begins doubting her own ability to witness anything else even close to the travesty in that room. “Okay.”

“I’ll see you in a little while,” he says.

“What are you gonna do?”

“Help out as much as I can, I guess. I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Yeah, I know but...” She stops to take a deep breath.

“Listen...we’re gonna be alright,” he says, a statement he doesn’t believe. And she can even tell he doesn’t believe it, since it’s such a turn from his usual pessimism. But she gives him a curt nod, and turns the other direction.

“We’ve had way too many of these,” Alec says, referencing the small burial that just concluded. He walks back to the hotel with the others. Lienne, who walks on his left, mutters in agreement. Alec sighs; he appears as dejected as ever, so Lienne puts a friendly arm over his shoulder.

“It’ll be over soon, though,” she says. “Maybe.”

“Yeah. Hopefully. Remember when we came here?”

“I do.”

“...Man. What happened?”

“Everything just went...bad. Terrible. As bad as things could’ve possibly gotten,” Lienne says.

“True, but I think...we can get this place back to the way it was.”

“Wow. Is that a little optimism I hear?”

“I don’t know. I just wanna be done, y’know?” he says.

“One week, one week, one week. Then we’re done.” She gives him a firm squeeze on the shoulder and proceeds through the back doors as Cole and Jake walk together a few feet behind them.

“So, I heard you’re kind of the hero, getting rid of those assholes like that,” Cole says, and Jake shakes his head.

“No, n-no way. Those guys were t-total dumbasses. Anybody c-could’ve done what I d-did,” Jake says.

“Maybe. But you did it. And that counts for something, man.”

“I d-dont even know how I got them to leave...I d-dunno, that was some c-crazy stuff.”

“Yeah? How’re you holding up?”

“Fine, mostly.”

“Really?” Cole asks. “‘Cause...I was talking to that Dre guy earlier and he told me how you bashed some guy’s brains in with a pair of brass knuckles.”

“So what? G-guy was gonna kill me, and he pr-probably shot up s-some kid or an old l-lady or something. Rightfully d-deserved to get his brains b-bashed in.”

“Shit...and you’re...okay? With doing that? I mean, seriously, how many people have you killed?”

“Just him,” Jake admits. “But why are you s-so worked up about it? Th-the guy was with Roxie, man.”

“I know; I’m just--I’m looking out for you. I’m not questioning what you did. You weren’t wrong, not at all. But you’re fifteen and it’s...I don’t know, your first kill usually isn’t that easy.”

“I’m f-fine. Seriously,” Jake assures.

“Good. Good. Was just checking,” Cole says, and gives him a pat on the shoulder.

“I’m really sorry, I really am, Tora, but we can’t go on looking for Hiro,” Griffin says. He sits on the surface of his desk. She stands across from him, a frown on her face.

“We could actually find him, Griffin. And Nico said he would help out with the search,” Tora says.

“No. There’s way too much going on, we can’t spare the people...I’m sorry.”

“I know but--maybe we could get lucky next time, I don’t know.”

“We’re not going to. And you know that,” he says as gently as possible.

She searches her mind for more ways to persuade him, but realizes that any of her pleads would be a waste of his time and hers. And, she knows he’s right. “Okay,” she says after a while. “You’re right, I’m wrong. I’m being stupid and delusional.”

“No, you’re not. You’re doing what anyone would do. Again, I’m sorry.”

“He’s...he’s been missing for a month. We haven’t found anything. I understand.”

***

''Tora and Hiro sit in the woods around a dwindling fire, two tents set up behind them, eating the last of a squirrel Hiro managed to catch a few hours earlier. “You still think we should head into the city?” Tora asks.''

''“I don’t know. There’d be a lot more food but...too dangerous,” Hiro says.''

''“Yeah... a lot more.” She finishes the last of her squirrel and wipes her hands on her pants.''

''“You still hungry? Here, take mine.” He hands her his bowl, but she shakes her head.''

''“No. Seriously, it’s yours. You need to eat,” she says, but that only makes him prod her more.''

''“I know you’re still hungry. That was all you ate today.”''

''“So? What’ve you eaten today?”''

''“Enough. Don’t worry about me,” he says. “Take it.”''

“Nope.”

''“Okay. But if you don’t eat it, I won’t either.” He sets the bowl on the ground, far away from him, just to make his point.''

''“Really? That’s really dumb. Such a waste,” she says, but he doesn’t budge. He just shrugs.''

''“It’s gonna get cold,” he says, and she eventually snatches the bowl from the ground. He smiles when she does, his master plan a success. He lies back on the grass, putting his hands behind his head.''

''They stay silent for a while, until she finishes every last bit and puts the bowl down. “Thanks,” she says. “It was yours, but thanks.”''

“Anytime,” he says.

“You know, I think we have some beans in the bag--”

''“That’s for tomorrow, I’ll be fine. Stop worryin’ so much.”''

''“I know. But I can’t help it.” She stands and heads to her tent, but he stays where he is, looking up at the sky. “Aren’t you tired?”''

''“Eh. Not really. Just gonna stargaze. Going to sleep?” he ask, and she nods. They say their ‘good nights,’ and she disappears into her tent.''

''After a while, Hiro can feel himself dozing off, his eyes insistent on not staying open. He yawns and stands, making his way to his tent, too. But he hears something to his right, and his head quickly turns that direction. It’s an unusual rustling noise, one that disappears almost as soon as it begins. He rushes into his tent, immediately going to the bag in the corner and retrieving his knife. He peeks his head out; in the darkness, he can’t see a lot. Just a figure slowly stepping out of the trees. The figure is tall, obviously a man, and given his posture, Hiro deduces he’s not infected.''

The figure looks around, confused, until his eyes fall on the tent.

“Who are you?” Hiro asks before he can approach the tents, and the man jumps.

''“H-hey, dude, sorry. I just--I heard people earlier and--and you’re the first people I’ve come across in a while,” the man says.''

''“Any weapons you have, drop them. Now,” Hiro demands, and he exits the tent with his knife raised.''

''“Is that--shit, man, you don’t need to stab me! I’m just trying to talk to you.” Hiro grabs him by the throat and slams him into the nearest tree. The commotion rouses Tora, and she unzips her tent but doesn’t leave it, in case of danger.''

“Hiro, what’s going on?” she asks.

''“Some guy was creeping around--I’ve got him right here,” Hiro says. Tora leaves her tent. She can't see much as her eyes adjust to the dark, but she can hear the struggle of the man trying to escape from Hiro's grasp.''

''"I'm not bad, I don't want any trouble, dude," the man says. "Look, my name's Trevor. I been out here alone this entire time, dude. My whole family's dead, all my friends, I have no food."''

"I didn't ask."

"I know--I know, I'm sorry, but I need some help. Ma'am, please, could you back me up or something?"

''"Hiro, he can't be more than...twenty-five, thirty," Tora says now that she has a decent view of the man. Shaggy blonde hair, a patchy beard, a thin face.''

"Twenty three," Trevor says.

''"Why does that matter?" Hiro asks. "We're not helping you, so I suggest you go."''

"I will, but can you just gimme something. Even just some water, and I'm out."

"We don't have anything to give you."

"That's a God damn lie and you know it."

"I will give you ten seconds. Ten seconds to turn around and leave."

"Hiro--" Tora says.

"Ten seconds, that's it."

''"Dude...I'm fucking hungry. Listen to her, man," Trevor says. Hiro lets him go, but he doesn't move. "What do I have to do? Please, what do I have to do for you to help me?"''

"Clock's ticking, " Hiro warns.

''Trevor look between them desperately, then keeps his eyes locked on Tora, waiting for her to defend him. She almost looks like she wants to, but she keeps her mouth shut.''

''"Okay, okay. I've got--" Trevor says, reaching into his jacket. The move is too sudden for Hiro, and his mind instantly jumps to the possibility of Trevor retrieving a weapon.''

''"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?!" Hiro says.''

Trevor quickly realizes his mistake: "No, dude, it's not what you think. I--" But Hiro doesn't listen to him finish as he buries the knife into Trevor's chest.

''"Hiro!" Tora shouts, and he shushes her.''

''"Don't be so fucking loud," he says as he removes the knife and Trevor's body slumps to the ground. He groans, holding his bleeding chest and Hiro turns him over. He opens Trevor's jacket and searches for the weapon, but finds nothing. Only a few bottles pills. Aspirin and painkillers he finds out after reading over the labels.''

''"He was going to offer us medicine," Tora says, looking over Hiro's shoulder. "He was gonna offer use medicine if we gave him food."''

"You don't know that," Hiro says.

"He obviously doesn't have a fucking gun!"

"What did you want me to do? Risk it? What if it was a gun? What do you have to defend yourself right now?"

"That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

"You just stabbed an innocent guy in cold blood, that's the point. And now you're gonna take everything he has," Tora says.

''"Yeah. I am." He pockets the pills and stands after searching through Trevor's pockets one last time. He's still alive, but just barely. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not gonna have some random guy hanging around with us, Tora. People are creeps and thieves."''

"Not everyone. He wasn't."

"He could have been. And I'm not putting you in danger just to help some weirdo guy, okay?”

“That doesn’t mean--”

''“I’m done arguing about it. The issue’s over with. He’s dead, dying, whatever. And we have to go. We made way too much noise.”''

''Tora stares at him in disgust as he moves past her and to his tent to gather his things. “You’re just gonna leave him like that?” she asks, pointing at Trevor’s body.''

''“We have to go. I can already hear them coming this way,” he says, referring to the infected now rustling in some far away part of the woods.''

When Roxie hears a knock on her door, she rises from her bed and goes to open it. To her surprise, Walter stands before her. “You’re back early," she says.

“Yeah, we had to book it out of there,” he says, entering the house. “Apparently, almost of them are out on business.”

“What?”

“Half of them aren’t there. Gone. Mostly old people and kids and shit. And a few guards,” he explains a little too vaguely, taking a seat on the nearest recliner. “Martinez told me some kid said they were visiting another group. Kid said they would be back soon, so we left before we got there. Didn’t want to risk it.”

“Wait, back up a little. Another group? Who?”

“Didn’t say.”

“I don’t like that. I really don’t like that.”

“Do you have any idea who, though?”

She takes a few seconds to think. “Yeah. I do.”

***

Mae, Kendra, Dean, and Winston all sit atop the gate that blocks Lane Tech’s entrance. Winston and Kendra sit back and chuckle to themselves as, once again, Dean and Mae bicker.

“Really, Mae? It was two days ago. You can stop bugging me about it now," Dean says. "But you'll never miss the opportunity to irritate me, will you?"

"I'm not trying to bug you," Mae says. "But you were, like, so drunk. The worst I've ever seen you."

"And I'm fine now. I didn't know having a relaxing drink once in a while would result in an interrogation."

"I'm not interrogating you, either. You're too sensitive, Dean."

Dean sighs. "I think I know what it is."

"What what is?" Mae asks.

"Why it's always about me. Do you have some...weird infatuation with me?"

"Oh, God," Kendra groans.

"No, it's a serious question," Dean says. "Why can't it about about you for once? Okay, how about this: why don't you drink, Mae?"

"Personal choice," Mae says. "And it always has been."

"No, how about this, Dean," Winston pipes up. "Me and Kendra take over watch while you two go out back, loosen up, have a little fun--" Kendra laughs and slaps him on the shoulder, while Mae and Dean don't find it nearly as funny.

"Ha-fucking-ha," Dean says. "Such a shame you never went into stand-up."

"But I could, couldn't I?"

"No."

Winston laughs to himself and goes back to chatting with Kendra. Mae and Dean keep their distance from each other and choose to focus on the watch instead.

Mae glances at her watch, counting down the minutes until her shift is done, when she hears the sound of a car engine. She lifts her head, and sure enough, three cars speed down the road toward the gate, the front-most truck smashing a roaming infected. Mae, Dean, Winston, and Kendra each grab their respective guns and stand alert.

"Oh, shit..." Kendra says. "I'll go get Nico." She climbs from gate and enters the school through the front doors.

"What's wrong?" someone stops to ask her.

"Don't worry about it."

She finally finds Nico's office and bursts through without the courtesy of a knock. Nico is dozing in his chair, his feet perched onto his desk. His eyes snap open when Kendra enters and he takes in her uneasy expression. "Jesus Christ. You scared the shit out of me," Nico says. "What's the matter with you?"

"I think she's here," Kendra says.

A small group of people have already collected around the front windows of the school, watching as the mysterious vehicles steadily approach. They mutter nervously among themselves. Eventually, the cars stop about fifteen meters in front of the gates, and their engines shut off.

As expected by most, Roxie exits the largest of the three vehicles. "Good afternoon," she says to Mae, Dean, and Winston.

"Uh...hey," Winston says, and Mae shushes him harshly.

"I really need to talk to Nico, so if you could open the gates, that'd be great."

"We kind of can't do that."

"...I'm not in the mood to argue." She glares at the three, but the gate doesn't open, much to her disappointment. But before she can say anything else, the front doors open, revealing Kendra and Nico.

“Why are you here?” Nico asks her, walking toward her.

She walks closer to the gate and puts her hand on one of the bars. “Nico, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer it truthfully,” she says.

“What’s this about? I don’t have to answer anything.”

“Yes, you do. And you know you do.”

“I’m not--”

“Shut up, Nico, and tell me: have you been talking to the Hyatt?” Roxie asks.

Nico hesitates and says, “Like that hotel? By the river?”

“Yes, the fucking hotel by the river.”

“I--I heard their broadcasts on the radio a long time ago but I never--I never actually talked to them.”

“Stop lying to me. Because you’re pissing me off.”

“He’s telling the truth,” Kendra says, and Roxie turns her gaze to her.

“Thanks a lot for your input, Kendra, but I didn’t fucking ask for it,” Roxie says. “Now, Nico, I’m going to ask you one last time. Have you had any contact with the Hyatt, whatsoever? And please, don’t lie to me, because I will not hesitate to blow her brains out.” She reaches to her holster and retrieves her pistol, quickly pointing it through the bars and at Kendra’s head.

“I’m tellin’ you the truth,” Nico says.

“No, you’re not. I can see it in your face.”

She’s more than ready to pull the trigger, but to everyone’s surprise, the front doors open, and a little girl Roxie faintly recognizes comes rushing out. Ivy runs in front of her mother and stares Roxie down.

“Ivy!” Kendra shouts.

“Don’t. Hurt. My. Mom,” Ivy demands, her voice shaking. Roxie slowly lowers her gun and looks down at Ivy.

“Oh, right. This is your kid,” Roxie says. “It would be terrible if I had to shoot her mother right in front of her just because some dickhead doesn’t want to tell me the truth.”

Roxie waits a few seconds, giving Nico one last chance to answer her question truthfully. But he stands his ground.

"No? Really? Okay--" Roxie says.

“We’ve been talking with them. We met with them a few days ago,” Kendra admits.

“See? Really simple. That’s all you had to say in the first place.” She holsters her gun looks at Nico, his fists clenched at his sides. "I'd still like to come inside."

"What?" Nico scoffs.

"I would like to have a nice, civilized, adult conversation about this."

"No."

"No?"

"What's gonna happen is you're gonna hop back into your car and leave. Because we have nothing to talk about. Is that understood?" Nico asks.

"...Wow, Nico De Luca grew a pair of balls. I never thought I'd see the day...but you know what? I'll go. You're all fucked, anyway. And you can relay that same message back to the hotel.