Dead Frontier/Issue 108

This is Issue #108 of Dead Frontier, titled ''Nowhere. This is the final issue in 'Volume 18. '''

Issue 108 - Nowhere
Their drive doesn't lead to anywhere in particular but it lasts into late afternoon; they're far out of the city by that time, in some abandoned rural town with small, one-story houses spread out haphazardly along the street. They took one stop to siphon a few gallons of gas, but other than that, they've been on a straight shot to nowhere. Adam finally decides to pull his car to the side of the road, prompting everyone else's vehicles to stop behind him. He opens his door and exits, as do Winston and Dre, the drivers of the other two cars.

"We can take a break now. Get some more gas and search the houses, and meet back here in thirty minutes," Adam says to them, and they quickly spread the order to the others. A few offer to stay behind, but most find a house to search, or a car to scour through.

Duke's headache has come back full force. Sitting on one of the car’s hoods with Chloe asking him questions, his vision is blurry, with everything going in and out of focus. “Duke, you have to pay attention to me, okay?” she says, but he waves her away with a hand.

“These questions aren’t even helping me. Give some aspirin or whatever, and I’ll be fine,” he says.

“First of all, we don’t have any. Second of all, that won’t help at all if you have a concussion.”

“If I had a concussion, it’d feel worse than this.”

She sighs. “If you want to be your own doctor, go ahead. I’m not in the mood for this.” He mumbles something she can’t make out as she turns away, finding a spot near one of the cars. She sits down on the asphalt, leaning against the door, and covers her face with her hands. She sits that way for a while, clearing her mind of anything and everything, until she feels the presence of someone setting themselves down next to her. She doesn’t look up, until they clear their throat and speak.

“Hey,” Jake says.

She takes a second to look at him, confused as to why he’d be here out of all people. “Hey,” she echoes.

He clears his throat again and runs a hand through his hair nervously. “I just thought I’d d-do this before it got too late,” he says.

“What is it?”

“I--I’m sorry. I don’t even know if you want to know or n-not, I just--I assumed you w-would.”

She finds herself growing increasingly impatient. “What is it?” she repeats.

“Wait, can you just p-promise me you won’t cry? ‘Cause I d-don’t do good with that kind of stuff.”

“Jake.”

“Okay...Look, I wasn’t really even sure at first, but I s-saw…” He trails off. “Griffin’s dead. I saw his body in the b-basement, and it was--it was dark, yeah--but it had to b-be him.”

Her eyes turn misty, but she blinks the tears away, trying to compose herself for at least a few more seconds. “...How?”

“Roxie stabbed him, I-I’m pretty sure. In his chest, though, so I had to...he’s not going to t-turn. If that m-makes you feel any better?”

“She was there?” Her voice is filled with anger more than anything.

“Yeah, but we don’t have to w-worry about her.”

Chloe nods in understanding, and, as he expected, she bursts into fitful sobs. She’s not sure what to do, so she embraces him. He has to force himself to suppress a groan, and with no seemingly no other choice, he pats her on the back awkwardly. To him, it’s as if they’re there forever, stuck with her dampening his shoulder with her tears, but he comforts her as long as he needs to.

Mae, Dean, and Winston walk together, peeking into any dusty car windows they see. Most are empty, so they move on to the next one, and the next one. “Am I the only one who notices what’s happening here?” Winston says after a while. He grimaces at the sight of an infected strapped into the back seat of one of the cars.

“See what?” Dean asks. He and Mae stop when Winston does, turning to them.

“It’s like fucking high school,” he says, gesturing back to the group. “You can tell, ever since we met up with Dre and everybody else, we’re the fucking outcasts here. They’re all buddy-buddy and everything, and we’re just...here.”

“It hasn’t even been a day, Winston. Are you serious?” Mae asks.

“Yeah, I’m serious.”

“We’ve met them before. They’re not bad people.”

“I know they’re not. It might not even be intentional, I don’t know. But when shit gets bad, you know they’re gonna be on each other’s side. Not ours. What do you think’s gonna happen when it’s one of their lives versus ours?”

“Even I’ve never been this fucking pessimistic,” Deans says. “Jesus, man.”

“I’m just letting you know. I’ve seen this stuff happen before. Who’s gonna get the most food? Not us. Whose lives are going to be the priority? Not ours. Human nature at its finest.”

“So you’re saying it’s bad they’re all close?” Mae asks. “Do you know what they just went through, Winston?”

“Look, if we’re gonna try to fit in here, just prepare.”

Dean opens his mouth to respond, but Dre passes them, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Are you gonna sit here and gossip all day or actually do something?” Dre asks, looking between the three of them. He raises his eyebrows, but walks off without an answer.

“Let’s just get through today. We’re thinking too far ahead,” Mae says. “Come on.”

For the entire ride, Lucy has had her arm interlocked with Cole's, their hands held tightly together. They both feel this irrational fear of letting go, even though they'll still be together if they did. The car has emptied out, leaving them alone for the first time since the beginning of the trip. They're quiet for a while, letting the faint static from the radio fill the car. She rests her head comfortably against his shoulder, but looks up when he gently runs his fingers along one of her wrists. The skin around it is slightly raw and reddened.

"What happened there?" he asks, his voice tight with concern.

She looks down at the faint bruising wrapping around her wrists; she can't believe she'd almost forgotten about her near capture, but being reminded of it brings back a new slew of negative emotions she'd hoped to repress for the rest of the day.

She decides not to veer around the question. "Close call," she says. "They tied me up by my wrists and everything...Duke was the one that got me out of there before anything happened.” He gives her hand a firm squeeze; his eyes are weighed down by the frightful thoughts of what could have been. “There’s nothing to worry about now. You know that,” she says as reassurance for both of them after taking in his distressed look.

“Can’t help it. You know me,” he says with a sigh.

“Do you like stressing yourself out?”

He laughs quietly. “It’s almost like I do...but, I have a weird way of dealing with stuff, I dunno. Think of the worst thing that could’ve happened--and it when it doesn’t, you feel better. Eventually.” He pauses befor continuing. “Like...if the hotel ran out of food. That would’ve been pretty bad, too.” He raises his eyebrows accusingly, but he still has the faintest traces of a smile on his face.

“You knew about that?” she asks incredulously.

“Of course I knew. I was gonna bring it up to you soon, actually. Don’t think I’m mad or anything that you didn’t tell me, ‘cause I’m not. I just think it’s really ironic that we were worried about that and then this happens. Right out of left field.”

“Makes it seem like everything was a waste of time almost,” she says, setting her head back on his shoulder. “I pull my hair out trying to make sure we all don’t starve to death, I force myself to keep it a secret from everyone, and then we end up being run out anyway. It was gonna come to this at one point or another; I knew it, but I tried to be optimistic for once. So fucking stupid.”

“C’mon, don’t say that. I don’t know if I ever told you, but I was actually really proud of you for everything you were doing to help out. Seriously, up until four in the morning looking at files and numbers and all that? You’ve got a new admirer in me.”

She closes her eyes and smiles, but it vanishes as quickly as it comes. “I can’t believe it’s all gone. That’s the hardest part.”

He sighs. “We just have to start over again. We’ve done it before.”

“We really need a plan,” Adam says. He looks to his right, where Tora walks alongside him. They walk up the crumbling steps of one of the houses, and he easily pushes open the cracked and dusty door. He recoils at the stench, but continues inside, Tora following him.

“What kind of plan?” she asks, looking behind one of the couches, where she grimaces at the decaying body of some small animal.

“I don’t know. We can’t roam around forever with...13 people? Not to mention one that can’t walk, three we barely know anything about, and two kids.”

“You might be moving just a little too fast. We’re barely out of the hotel.” She opens one of the kitchen cabinets, only to be met with cobwebs. She closes it with a quiet sigh.

“I know...and that’s the problem. I can’t imagine how anyone else’s feeling, but I know I need something to look forward to. Something to focus on so I don’t keep thinking about how we’re going to deal with food, or the winter, or medicine. We’re already hurting because of two out of three of those.”

They turn into the nearest bedroom. The mattress and dresses are upturned, the busted window allowing in a faint breeze. “I don’t think you know how much just seeing each other has made everyone feel better. Things are only going up from here.” She pulls open a drawer and smiles at the sight of a small orange bottle. “See? Aspirin.” She tosses to him, and he can’t help but laugh.

“You should keep saying that. Maybe a burger will fall out of the sky,” he says.

“I wish I had that kind of power.” She searches the other drawers, hoping to find a another bottle of pills, maybe some clothes, but she’s out of luck. She frowns in disappointment, and rises to her feet. “You know, speaking of...I’ve known you for a while. And I’m not disagreeing with having some kind of plan, but I really don’t know anyone who’s as level headed as you. Everyone here’s probably in some fucked up state of mind--but I really think you should...you should be the one to keep us on the right path, you know?”

“You think way too highly of me,” he says with a modest grin.

“No, I’m serious. ‘Leader’ is a weird term...but I don’t know, someone who can help us get out of that rock and a hard place when it comes.”

“I’m the last person y’all want to listen to all day, trust me.”

She shakes her head and nudges him on the arm. “Think about it,” she tells him.

They’ve decided to stay on that long stretch of countryside instead of venturing out any longer. They’ve parked the cars behind one of the larger houses and settled around them as the moonlight peeks behind the clouds only slightly. There’s a new kind of air by this time, one less tense and foreboding and more filled with positivity. Optimistic words pass lips, hugs are shared, smiles form on faces, the occasional joke incites a chorus of laughs. Yesterday doesn’t seem just twenty four hours ago.

Luckily, they won’t go to sleep with empty stomachs. A small bag of food Adam and Tora found earlier is shared as evenly as possible among them. Empty wrappers are tossed with sighs of disappointment, but it’s better than nothing.

Lienne lies on her back in the soft grass, looking up at the moon with eyes that threaten to close any second. Most around her are finishing their food. They disperse, breaking off into different groups of conversation. She stays alone, until she sees a small shadow looming over her

“Hi,” Ivy says a little nervously. Lienne sits up, a little surprised. She hasn’t heard Ivy say a single word all day.

“Oh, hi, Ivy,” Lienne says cheerfully. She pats the ground next to her. “What’s up?”

“Oh. Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were...if you were really that girl that sings really good. I remember meeting you once.”

“If you want to put it that way, that’s me,” Lienne assures her with a smile, but it’s soon gone as she feels it’s out of place matched with Ivy’s expression.

“I don’t know what to do,” Ivy suddenly whispers, breaking the quick silence, and Lienne has to lean in to hear it. “I don’t know who to talk to.”

Lienne’s mouth is open slightly in surprise, and she looks around nervously. No wonder she came to her. Everyone else looks to be too busy with something else. “I…” she trails off.

“I’ve been with Mom everyday since this started. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want her worrying about me.” Lienne’s heart falls to the pit of her stomach. “Why can’t we just go back and get her? She can’t be that far from the school. It wouldn’t be that hard.”

“Because...we can’t, just in case those guys--whoever was there--is still there. And infected could still be in the school.”

“Then Dean should have just told me that, and we could have got her before we left.”

“He was just--he thought he was doing the right thing.”

“I don’t care. I hate him,” she spits out.

“He didn’t want to see you get hurt.”

“He’s a liar. He’s a liar, and I hate him. My mom wouldn’t have left me there. I can’t do the same to her. She would have…” Her words fade into the air, and after almost a day of holding them back as much as she could, the tears overpower everything else and she sobs into her knees. Lienne immediately wraps her arms around her, and sympathetic tears form in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” Lienne mutters. “It’s okay…”

Lucy, one of the extra energy bars in her hand, sits next to Cole against one of the trucks. His sickly condition has led her to try and convince him to eat, but he shakes his head once again.

“Are you sure?” she asks.

“One hundred percent.”

“You really look like you need to eat something.”

“If I eat that, I’m pretty sure I’ll vomit and--”

“I’ll stop. Okay, I’ll stop. I get it, you’re not hungry.” He nearly laughs at her expression of disgust.

“Thanks anyway,” he says.

“I’ll be right over there. I’m gonna see if someone else wants it.” She gives him a quick peck on the cheek before rising, walking to the far side of the yard where most everyone else is. He sits by himself for a while, nearly falling into a deep sleep, until Adam replaces where Lucy was on the ground next to him.

“Got another dose for you,” Adam says, handing Cole a small orange bottle, the last two of the pills bouncing around inside.

“Thanks,” Cole says with a groan. “Sucks swallowing these dry.”

“We’re gonna go on an official run tomorrow. Pray for some water.”

Cole pops the pills in his mouth and swallows them quickly. “Good luck. Wish I could help but...you know.”

“Don’t worry about that, man. No one cares. Just the same Cole...with less walking involved.”

“You’re saying that because you don’t need someone carrying you around all the time. Dre’s my official crutch now, it’s fucking embarrassing.”

“Is that why you’re over here? C’mon, dude.”

“You won’t brush it off so easy when you realize I can’t do anything. If we’re actually living on the road like this, do you realize how much of liability this stupid fucking leg is?” Adam looks at him, disbelieving. “It’s not like at the hotel. I had no big responsibilities there, I could sit back and know there’re other people to take care of everything. This is different. We actually had protection there. I don’t want anyone worrying about me, or thinking they have to keep an eye on me.”

“We know you’re not a little kid, man, and if you don’t want us to treat you like that...I’ll spread the word. We’ve all got a lot of respect for you here. Me more than anyone.” An effortless smile forms on Cole’s face as Adam claps him on the shoulder. Adam then pulls him into a tight hug, patting him on the back. “Don’t let this shit bring you down.”

They depart early that next morning, when the sun has barely made its first appearance in the sky. They pile what little belongings they have and, with rumbling stomachs from that less-than-adequate dinner from last night, they go on the hunt for any food they can find.

Every single store they search brings on a surge of disappointment.

Adam currently rummages through boxes and boxes at the back of an old grocery, each one empty of nothing but dust. “God damn it…” he mutters, kicking one across the room. Duke peaks his head in, and gives Adam a nod.

“Nothing?” Duke asks.

“Nothing,” Adam confirms.

Dean searches the frontmost section of the store, looking up and down the shelves he walks by. He jumps as a rat skitters by. He knocks the shelf behind him by accident, and something collides with the ground. A bottle of water, dust and grime covering it, but its contents full. He holds back a laugh as he goes to pick it up. He opens the cap, forces himself not to down it all in one sitting, but by the time he’s done, half of it’s gone, dripping down the sides of his mouth.

He thinks he’s the only one to find something so far, therefore considering his job done. He walks from the store, out into the blazing sun, and wipes the sweat from his forehead. A brooding Cole stands against one of the cars, eyes glued to the ground.

“Think fast,” Dean says. Cole looks up just as Dean tosses him the water bottle. He catches it effortlessly. “Half empty, but better than nothing.”

“Holy shit. Thanks,” Cole says. He twists the cap open and takes a few grateful sips. Dean takes a spot next to him and Cole hands him the bottle.

“So, how’s your morning been?”

“It’s been okay.”

“Pretty relaxing, I’d guess,” Dean says.

“You could say that, but you’d be sadly mistaken.”

“Really? Huh.”

Cole looks him up and down disapprovingly. “Spit it out,” Cole says.

“Alright. I’m going to ask you something, but I’m just hoping you don’t get offended.” Cole raises his eyebrows, signaling him to go on. “Are you milking that injury? Even just a little bit? I’m not judging you--seriously, that’d be genius if you were.”

“What? No! What would even be the point of that?”

“Come on, really?”

“Yes, really. I’d like to know.”

“I told you not the get offended. It was a serious question.”

“I’m not offended,” Cole says, but his voice betrays him.

“Okay, then you understand, right? You’re standing out here, living the life as far as I’m concerned. You pull this off for long enough, who can guess how long you’ll be able to just...sit back and relax?”

Cole scoffs in disbelief. “I’ve heard things about you, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Probably a bad choice on my part.”

“Yeah? Like what? I ask an innocent question and suddenly I’m the asshole.”

“Like you’re the drunk creep that tried to get in Lucy’s pants. The one that bragged about his ACT score and all that, yeah?” Cole says.

Dean holds in a chuckle. “Is that what this is about? I was drunk, what do expect?”

“Just watch yourself, in the future.”

Dean nods slowly. “Okay. Just have fun trying to chase me with my pants around my ankles. Knee shouldn’t hold you back too much, should it?” Cole clenches his fists and pushes down his anger. He notices Dean is taking advantage of the fact that he can’t move from this spot. Dean notes the irritance on his face, and decides enough is enough. “I’ll go. I didn’t want to start any problems with you; you brought it on yourself. If you’d just told me your knee’s as bad as you say, you’d know I’m legitimately sorry for you. Can’t imagine one person here that’d want to deal with a cripple--”

Cole feels the pain shoot up his fist and into his arm before he even realizes he’d punched Dean in the jaw. The effort drains his energy, and he watches, shaking away the pain in his hand, as Dean falls onto his back on the asphalt. Dean scrambles to his feet, ready to retaliate, when he realizes how bad it’d look fighting against a guy just recovering from a fever and who can barely move. So he just presses his hand against his lip, hearing the scrambling of footsteps from behind him.

“Whoa, what the fuck was that?” Duke asks, grabbing Dean by the arm.

“Forget it about it. It was my fault,” Dean mutters. He snatches his arm away, picks his water bottle up from the ground, and walks away without another word.

“You’re still fucking sick, man, don’t pull that shit,” Duke warns. Cole places a hand to his head and winces.

“Yeah, I know,” Cole says.

“What’d he even do?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Duke pauses, expecting him to go on, but when he doesn’t, he drops the issue. “I know about him, too. Don’t waste your time with people like that, alright? It’s not worth it.”