“I understand. I’ll see about getting the gates open for ya. ” Ed moved off.
Rune straddled his bike and tugged on his thick leather gloves. The braid of white hair fell over one shoulder as he zipped up his leather jacket and made sure to keep his neck covered. As he finished getting ready to head out, he sensed someone standing near him.
Looking up he saw a woman with short brown hair smiling at him. Her long black dress flowed to her shiny black boots and ornate jewelry decorated her neck and wrists.
“Damn,” he whispered.
“We’ll let you know when it is time to head back,” she said in a clear, melodic voice.
Rune slowly bobbed his head, mesmerized by the woman. “Okay. ”
“You’ll be needed later,” she continued.
“I’ll keep that in mind. ”
“Stay alive. You’re needed on this side. ”
“Okay. ” Rune noticed that the edges of her figure blurred slightly. Still, he swore he could touch her if he tried.
Ed stepped through the apparition and she vanished. “Get ready. We’ll open the first gate and once you’re inside, close it, then open the second.
Area is clear of zombies, but be careful. Got Katarina, the sniper, watching out. ”
“Gotcha. And thanks, man. ” Rune clasped hands with the older man, then gunned the motorcycle to life.
“You’re always welcome to come back. ”
“I think I will head back one day. Kinda. . . got that feeling. ” He pulled on his goggles as Ed nodded his head and walked on.
Once free of the gates, his bike roared down the abandoned streets of Ashley Oaks, away from the fort and into the deadlands.
4. The Whore of Babylon For once, Jenni dreamed blissful dreams. Secure in Juan’s arms, she slept deeply and did not awaken once.
Juan left early in the morning, leaving her to sleep in. Jenni briefly remembered him kissing her lips before sliding out of bed. She also remembered him kissing her again before he left. When the alarm clock went off two hours later, she groggily climbed out of the bed, naked and disoriented.
After a long hot shower, she pulled on her work clothes and fussed with her hair. The night before had been wonderful and she felt amazingly at peace. Juan was too wonderful for words and she couldn’t help but be happy.
The knock on the door startled her and she walked over and flung it open expecting to see Katie. Instead, it was Blanche.
“Oh, hi, bitch. ” Jenni couldn’t imagine what Blanche wanted.
Blanche smiled at her. “Hi, spic,” she answered.
Jenni never saw what hit her, but suddenly the world swirled into darkness and she felt herself falling.
* * * * * The two men with Blanche pulled Jenni up off the floor and half-carried, half-dragged her down the hall. Blanche walked swiftly behind them, her hand gripping the kid-sized baseball bat she had used to club Jenni. Her husband was cowering near the service elevator down the hall, and she gave him a fierce look.
“Are you sure-” he started.
“Yes, Stephen” she said sharply.
She was very sure. After all her hard work the last few months, she was damn sure. Things would have gone much better if that idiot Shane hadn’t gone after the lesbian, but oh well. Blanche had been paying Shane, Philip and three of their buddies in money and sexual favors (she always did like it rough). In return, the men stored food and supplies at her mansion in preparation for her return. The fort never realized how much the men had diverted to her old abode. Then Shane screwed up, leaving her to make do with his three lackeys. They were simple men who worked on the salvage runs when they weren’t working on new construction. After Shane had called the wrath of the fort down on his head, Blanche had kept a tight reign on her three remaining minions. She liked to think of them as minions. It empowered her.
“Ray, go get Juan. Meet us in the garage near my Hummer,” she said to one of the men. He was the scrawniest of the three, but amazingly good in bed.
“Gotcha,” he said, and hurried off.
“I don’t understand why we need her,” Stephen said in a voice that made her want to claw his eyes out.