“Why?” Nerit's gaze was curious.
Peggy laughed a little. “She watches horror movies and saw one of the walking dead and was pretty sure it was a zombie. Then she noticed bites on some of the people being put on the buses. So she and the others hid and waited until everyone had been shipped off to a rescue center, then barricaded themselves inside the school. It's a very small school, so it wasn't that hard. ”
Nerit smiled wryly. “Horror movies…odd how they became a guideline for survival. ”
Katie joined them, dressed in hunting gear. She leaned into Travis and he slung an arm around her shoulders. A tender kiss followed, Peggy grinned.
Peggy loved seeing them together. Her own marriage had been rocky and never very romantic. She knew she was a sucker for country love songs and soap operas. She couldn't help it. But this was the real thing. She could see it. Feel it. Travis and Katie had found real, true love. She was happy for them. She just wished it would one day happen to her. Of course, in this dead world, what were the chances of that? “So these are the last two groups?” Travis pondered over the map.
“One more. A family trapped in a trailer. Again, doing okay until a recent mob of zombies arrived a few days ago. They were also holdouts, but they have not been doing so well. They're just bullheaded country folk, but they now need us to go get them. ” Peggy tapped the map and stared up at Nerit and Travis.
Nerit was deep in thought, her finger tracing over the various points on the map.
“Who is out there right now?” Travis leaned against the counter and stared up at Peggy.
She really liked his style. He always gave his full attention to her and valued her opinion. It wasn't like how she had to bust heads with Manny constantly.
“Ed is out with his group protecting the harvesting of his peach groves right now,” Peggy answered. “He took Lenore with him. ”
“Lenore?” Travis blinked.
“I felt she was ready,” Nerit muttered as she studied the map.
“Jenni is out on a scavenging run with Curtis, Katarina, Felix and Dylan,” Katie added. “They're due back soon. ”
“Dylan? We sent Dylan out? Isn't he a bit young?” Travis arched an eyebrow.
“He just turned eighteen. We have men in the military that age…or at least we did,” Nerit pointed out.
“And no one out on the field is reporting anything odd? No bandits?” Travis lifted his eyebrows.
“No, just those waves of zombies showing up. Kinda like they do here. I think that's the bandits,” Peggy answered.
“I agree with that assessment. ” Nerit began to write notes down on a pad of paper.
“You don't think they've decided maybe we're too big to take on?”
Katie asked.
“I think they're trying to figure out what to do with us,” Travis answered.
“Agreed. ” Nerit leaned over the map and studied it. “Waiting for a time to strike. ”
Ken rushed down the hall from the communication center and leaped behind the counter. Hugging Peggy, he startled her.
“Oh, my gawd! You will not believe my news!”
Travis slightly smiled. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah! Ed called in from where they are getting all those delicious peaches!”
“So the good news is we're having peach cobbler?” Katie queried teasingly.
Ken gave her a dark look. “I'm building this up. You're cramping my style! Shush, you!”
“Spill it, Ken. ” Peggy was about to smack him upside the head.
“My girl, Lenore, my bestest girl, is safe and on her way back with mission numero uno under her belt. That's the first part. Second part, Ed's boys were there!”