The Dead and the Restless (Completed with undergoing editing)

Chapter Twenty-Six

"I think taking Cherry Street down to Rosewood would be the best route," Liam said in response to Jackal. Liam, Jackal, and I all sat at the table discussing strategies for tomorrow morning, where we would go to a police station in the heart of town, in hope of getting guns. Liam would take his Harley he had saved up since he rode it here the first time he arrived, along with Jackal. I was going to take a car with Darlene, Sienna, Abbey, and the baby. My stomach felt a little uneasy again. Darlene and Jackal kept insisting I see the baby, hold it, and at least acknowledge its existence. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. Right now, there are other things that are more important than a baby. Until it needed more formula, it was trivial.

"No, we should take Caine down Ferrywood," Jackal countered. They'd been arguing about this ever since I mentioned the whole guns and cars thing. I didn't say much, I was just going as back up. The only person who actually knew about any of this was Jackal. He used to be a cop back in the day, until he retired and became biker guy who would go to his local bar and play pool with his buddies weekly.

I looked over my shoulder at Darlene, who was sorting food. We'd decided to leave at the end of the week, and she was sorting out and making up the rations. I was still uneasy about going back out there. If it was just me, I'd probably have killed myself, seeing as there was no other reason to keep going. But I had these people with me that I had to take care of. They needed me now, or else I'm pretty sure none would survive, especially with the baby.

As I thought of the baby, I was brought back to Walter's words, the voice I heard in the bathroom, my attacker, and the symbol on the door. There were so many questions I had, but I had no way of receiving answers. Abbey wasn't going to talk, my attacker was long gone, and the symbol was just a symbol. I tried focusing on Walter's words that he whispered to me, over and over again: They're coming. Who were they? Was my attacker part of 'them'? Or...

Maybe I was just crazy, I thought to myself. Walter was a dying man who could have just overheard what Abbey was muttering, and everything I saw were just figments of my imagination. That would be the logical, probable explanation. But there was one thing I couldn't explain still, and that was the syringe and how he lasted so long after being infected.

"Lease?" Liam asked, nudging me. I blinked my eyes, coming out of my thoughts, and looked at him.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"We came up with a solid plan," Jackal answered for him. "He's gon' to take out the good ol' Harley, and I'm gon' to go in the car with you. We'll take Conroy to Willingham Street, then cross at Ginger's, and the station will be a straight shot. All we got to do is hope that the guns will still be there, and that there won't be no trouble."

"Sounds good," I said, nodding my head. Honestly, it was pointless to argue on how we go there. It all depended on the snappers and how many were down what road and where. I didn't have the heart to tell them that after all this arguing though, so I kept that tid bit to myself.

"Alrighty then," Jackal said, standing up. "I'm gon' get some sleep. Tomorrow morning comes early, I'd suggest you do the same."

I nodded and stood up as he walked away to his spot in the cafeteria. I was going to go back to my old corner where I had been last night, since Liam and I had been on the rocks lately. Now, after the conversation we had yesterday before he almost got me killed at the convenient store, thing's started to be okay again. Well, they weren't what they were, but I didn't want that to happen. I wanted to start new.

As I was going back, Liam grabbed my arm lightly.

"Wait a sec," he said, a troubled look on his face. "We need to talk."

I raised an eyebrow as I gave him a weird look. Sure, there was a lot to talk about, but he seemed serious.

"Then let's talk," I said, taking my arm away from him. He looked around nervously and then looked back at me.