“I overheard Katarina talking to Nerit about a lady with a zombie kid in a mask. I wanted to ask about what happened, but they took off before I could. Is it true the mom thought there was a lab with a cure here?”
Emma wasn’t sure how much she could or should tell them. Since no one had told her not to share what she’d seen, she went ahead and nodded. “Her whole group believed we had the cure. That’s why they came here from Georgia. A lot died along the way.”
“Wow. That’s horrible. I wish I had a cure to give her. That sucks.” Bette frowned, rubbing the label on her beer bottle with her thumb.
“I wonder if there is a cure. Somewhere out there in some secret lab. And if there is, how do we find it?” Monica sighed. “When I think of all the people we lost and how a cure could change everything, it’s so frustrating that no one found a way to stop it.”
“If there is a lab out there, babe, chances are it’s the one where the outbreak started. Which means the scientists who could’ve stopped the outbreak are dead.”
“I hate that we don’t have a cure. I miss Jenni a lot. She shouldn’t have had to die just because of a bite on her hand.”
“To Loca,” Bette said, tapping her girlfriend’s beer with her own. “May she rest in peace.”
“She’s some kind of a legend around here, isn’t she?” Emma asked.
“Why do you ask?” Bette cocked her head, curious.
“I’ve heard of her.”
“Not surprised,” Bette said somberly. “I only met her briefly and she left an impression on me, that’s for sure.”
“She was...somethin’ special. Loca, but special.”
Bette nodded in agreement with her girlfriend’s declaration. “Without a doubt.”
“Did Juan tell you about her?” Monica asked.
“Juan’s little boy was showing me around and pointed out her picture to me.”
A sad smile pressed onto Bette’s lips. “Troy is
a sweetheart. He reveres her since she saved his life.”
Emma was reluctant to share with Bette and Monica that Jenni’s ghost had directed her to the Fort and that Troy had somehow been aware of Jenni’s influence. Though she was convinced that Jenni had guided her, it was difficult to admit that a ghost had intervened in her life in such a profound way. Apparently, belief in ghosts was not a big deal anymore, but Emma didn’t want to be seen as using Jenni’s name to impress anyone.
“It was like he could sense my grief and he wanted to share his own loss.”
“Or maybe he thinks you’re a little like her,” Bette suggested.
“Loca?” Emma grimaced. “I hope not. I may have killed a town of zombies, but I ain’t crazy.”
“I meant a hero.”
“It’s not an insult to be called loca, you two,” Monica explained. “It’s a term of endearment in Hispanic culture. Jenni was a grieving mom who went through a whole lot before and after the zombies. She was also a badass zombie killer and saved a lot of survivors. People liked her and the nickname was a loving one.”
“It sounds like we could’ve been friends. We have a lot in common when it comes to loss and killing zombies. I just hope people aren’t expecting me to be like her.”
Monica settled back in her chair and set her hand on Bette’s. Their fingers intertwined and the two women exchanged furtive looks.
“A few might,” Bette started tentatively. “I didn’t know Jenni, but I do know people depended on her a lot. It’s normal to look for new heroes when we lose one.”
“I liked her a lot, Emma, but there was something about Jenni that scared me. Sometimes she was like an untamed force of nature. I wouldn’t call it a death wish, but she lived her life without guardrails. She was haunted by the death of her kids. It affected her a lot, but she’d never admit it. She wouldn’t even talk about them to my cousin and they were together. It was like there was all this pain and sadness just below the surface and she was ignoring it as hard as she could. I knew her, and yet I feel I didn’t know her. She was brave, but it was scary how far she would go to save others. I suspect she was willing to risk herself because she couldn’t save her kids on that first day. It was like she was trying to pay off that debt, whether it was by saving others or sacrificing her life.”
Bette stared at her bottle of beer, wiping away the condensation with her fingers. “She gave her life so that a bunch of us could make it here safely.”
Again came the pinch of guilt. “I couldn’t save the people of my town, but I could give them final peace. They didn’t deserve to become those damn things.”
“You did right by them. I respect you for doing that.”