This Would Be Paradise (Book 2)-A Zombie Novel

Chapter 12

"Stop!" Karla screamed as she shoved her guard to the ground, the older lady not physically able to stop her.

I saw Karla reach for her weapon so I reacted fast and ran up to her. She turned to me, ready to fight but wasn't expecting my elbow to connect with her face. I made sure to use the good elbow as a club. Her gun skittered to the floor and I kicked it out of her reach, placing a knee her chest as soon as she hit the floor. Karla looked shell-shocked as she didn't even put up a fight. Her eye was already puffing up where I had hit her.

"Look, you can either stay or I can have someone take you elsewhere," my voice grew colder with every word.

She tentatively touched her eye, prodding at the swelling. Her elderly guard had since gotten up and come over to retrieve her. Karla was still stunned when the lady grabbed her arm in a tighter grip. She must have never been it a real fight before.

Something inside of me clicked into place. Karla and Tim were more than likely together, even if they weren't, she was like his second in command. Maybe I could use that to my advantage. Cold thoughts started to circle in my head. Perhaps the concussion had been worse than I thought.

I picked up Karla's handgun and cocked it. This got everyone's attention. Tim's eyes widen when I aimed it right for her head, my arm steady like a surgeon. Elaine gasped and Mac took a step forward.

"Don't," I warned and his eye's pleaded for me to stop.

"I hadn't pegged you for a cold-blooded killer," Tim spat, finally saying something.

"Glad I could finally get your attention," I said, aware that I had just taken my first step into the role of the villain. "Now, all we want are some answers. Especially Karla, here."

I was scaring myself at this point. I felt like a real-life James Bond villain, minus the Russian accent. They're always Eastern European. I held back the laugh rising in my chest; although it would fit the part I was playing rather well. Was it really just a role? There was no doubt that I wanted to hurt Tim and this would do the trick.

But no matter the hate I felt for him, Karla did nothing to deserve this. At that, I felt regret gnawing at me. I had no choice but to use her as a pawn. I would never shoot her; I just had to make Tim think I would. I jerked the gun for emphasis. Concern reflected in his eyes. I had just found my door into Tim.

"Alright," Tim said through bloody teeth. "Put the gun down and I will tell you what you want to know."

I lowered the gun to my side. "Go on then."

"I did bring them here. I traded information for guns and ammo," he admitted.

"Are they after immune people?"

Tim looked away, "I believe so, at least that's what they wanted to know about."

"Who are they?" Roy piped in.

"Mercenaries."

So they did horrible things for pay.

"Does that symbol on the side of this building belong to their gang?"

"Yes."

"Are you one of them?" I raised a brow.

"No, I just take a cut for information."

"Bullshit!" Roy yelled.

"I'm not lying!" Tim yelled back.

This was the first time he had raised his voice. Maybe he was starting to come undone.

"Then why?" Roy's words were strained.

Something in Tim seemed to snap. He started to let loose, turning into a completely different person.

"How do you think I found all the military grade weapons and rations, hmm? They were payment. If I scratch their back, they scratch mine. This place is held together by will and duct tape for Christ sake! You have no idea what it is like to be in charge of a bunch of people, let alone ones who can't protect themselves worth shit! Do you think this is fucking easy on me?!"

Tim was out of breath from his harsh exclamation. He painted a picture of an unexpected leader, one who was not prepared to take on such a role and made all the wrong decisions. I felt no sympathy for him. Because of him, innocent people were dead. Innocent people were missing and having who knows what done to them. We already had one plague to deal with, we didn't need another one.

"Where did they take the hostages?" I asked.

Tim swallowed, "I don't know."

Roy hit him again.

"I don't know!" Tim groaned. "All they have told me is that they need immune people for another group trying to make a cure or something."

"So right now my wife is being experimented on?!" Roy was like a berserker with his rage.

He took large bounds towards me and I took a step back instinctively. He grabbed the gun from my hand and in my growing pile of less-than-proud moments, I let him. Tim stood up in his chair, his back a cement wall.

"Listen, Roy-"

"Shut up," Roy cut Tim off. "Don't give me some bullshit about you not knowing what was going to happen to her. You knew exactly what it was. You just didn't give shit how many lives you ruined. My daughters dead because of you! My wife is being treated like a lab rat because of you!"

He was now waving the gun in Tim's face. Tim's eyes following the piece like he was magnetized. Okay, this really had gotten out of hand. Not only had I threatened someone who didn't deserve it, now Roy seemed as if he was ready to kill Tim.

"Listen to me!" Tim's voice went up a notch. "If you do anything to me, you lose your only lead."

Roy pointed the gun right at Tim and we all stood a little straighter. Elaine looked at me and jerked her head towards Roy. She wanted me to do something about it, but did I really want to?

"You're not much of a lead. You haven't given me anything to go on," Roy took a small step closer.

Tim swallowed, pupils dilating. I took a step as well and Roy said with his back to me, "Don't. This is my interrogation."

"No one's sticking up for this asshole, but Tim is right, he is our only lead," I tried to reason.

Roy could slap him around all he wanted, but a dead witness was useless.

"I can signal them again," Tim scrounged. "I still have the frequency they use."

So that's how he was contacting them. Tim must have had some sort of transistor radio.

"What do you use?"

"I found trucker's radio a while back and found their channel."

"Where is it?" Roy kept on grilling him.

"In my room."

"What channel?"

When Tim didn't answer, Roy yelled, "Well?!"

"Seven."

"Then that's all I need." Roy aimed and shot.

I lurched forward and people screamed all around me. At that close of range, Roy didn't miss. The bullet hit Tim in the left temple and his head whipped back. His body sat still, his head out of view but I could see the smoke rising in white tendrils. Tim looked like he was hanging his head over the back of the chair releasing a puff of smoke.

But that brief illusion was shattered when blood started to drop onto the worn floor. It was like pouring out red paint from a can. Karla let out a distressed cry and sank to the ground in tears. Some of the older ladies fled the room and the rest of us stood frozen in shock.