Hope On The Rocks/Issue 32

This is Issue 32 of Hope On The Rocks, entitled "Them Dog Cages"

312, Them Dog Cages
So Miles wanted to know about Cart. I told him I didn’t know anything. The thing is... not we asked Neil about it. Neil want me to be there when he tells about Cart. I honestly don’t want to. Everything has it’s time. Adam and I are talking right now, about what to trade. Axel wants more dog cages for his... well... you know.... “How ‘bout those cages? Got more of those?” I ask Adam, a black friendly man. “Dog cages? You bet your ass we do. We have cages enough to start a fucking zoo, Pete.” Adam says enthusiast. I smile. I really like Adam. If it wasn’t because of all my friends being in Rogersville, I had moved into this refugee camp. “Allright, let’s say four cages for that box?” I ask, refering to a box with canned goods. “Four cages? Nah, lil’ bud’, you get five. We ain’t cheating nobody here.” Adam says, taking up the box and headed to their storage tent. He comes out with two cages, one in each hand. He gives them to me, and heads inside again to get more cages. Neil comes over, apparently had Miles waiting in his tent. Guess it’s time now. I look at the man, as he talks. “Can we trust him? Miles, I mean.” Neil asks, looking me in the eyes. Neil has something with looking people in the eyes, making them feel uncormfortable. I feel uncormfortable right now. “He’s cool.” I just say. I know Neil well enough to not make a big deal about it. Just run with him, and everything will be fine. “Good. Come with me.” Neil says, turning around and headed to his tent, just assuming I’m behind him. Which I am. Don’t mess with Neil. With Adam Jones as back-up, you don’t want to make that guy mad.

An old table, which he traded with me and Landon, is what we’re sitting around. Adam is standing in the entrance, solving some kind of crossword puzzle. “So, Miles... How do you know about Cart?” Neil asks, beginning the conversation. Miles looks at me, and then back to Neil. I make no sign of interest. I’m just sitting here, next to Miles. “We talked to him over the radio. Told us he was here. A few days later he said he was in Kansas...” Miles says, looking at Neil. “I see... Kansas.” Neil mutters, looking down. “Why do you want to know about him?” “He scared us... we didn’t know what to believe... we just want to... you know, clearify.” Miles says. He is actually pretty good at conversating if you think about it. “Fair enough...” Neil says and takes up a suitcase. He opens it and takes out a picture. I’ve seen the picture already. I were here when Cart escaped. It was horrifying. “That’s Cart.” Neil says and hands the picture to Miles. “Let me tell you why we don’t like talking about Cart.” I’ve also heard this story before. But, well, here we go. Neil begins: “Gavin Cart and three other soldiers etablished this camp the second day of the apocalypse. More and more people began arriving. At some point, we were three hundred and nine. Adam and I arrived just in time to see everything go to hell. The former leader refused Cart’s request for the position of leader. Cart shot this man, along with nine others. He then let the gate open, causing zombies to invade the camp. Ninety three people died, Miles. Ninety three. One of them was my wife. Cart escaped, obviusly, and nobody has seen him since. That’s a good thing. I hope he dies a painful death.” We all sit in silence for a few moments, before Adam breaks the silence: “You never got them dog cages, Petey.”