Once Bitten: Twice Mad

Chapter Sixty-Two

Chapter Sixty-Two:

"Colt, this doesn't feel right." Comanche said as the group made their way down the road toward the hotel. Comanche had never cared for towns. They were too neat, too organized, too controlled—in the old world. The new world had towns that were wild and untamed and he did not mind them so badly. But this town was like the towns of old. Neat, orderly, clean and.....strangely quiet.

"I know it doesn't." Colt admitted. "But it's just for a night. We'll gather up supplies and leave in the morning for someplace different." Comanche nodded. He knew there wasn't any other choice. They were too low on supplies to simply leave—the group would surely starve or collapse from exhaustion if they didn't get some decent rest soon. Morale was low and a bit of peace was needed desperately.

Comanche could see the lines of fatigue on everyone faces, even Colt's. Comanche himself was exhausted as well—Meals had become whatever Comanche could hunt in a day and whatever the women could gather. Potatoes had become a staple but they were running out and those they had left were beginning to rot.

Everyone was hungry and run down and without a good amount of rest soon the horses were going to begin to fall. Already the brown mare had a limp that Comanche knew Colt was concerned about.

"Colt, we need longer than one night," Rachel argued, her voice barely more than a whisper as her feet dragged the ground with every step she took.

"I know that, Rachel." Colt sighed tiredly. "But something ain't right about this place and that man. Now my instincts tell me that we'll be just fine here for a night but I'm not pushin' it any longer than that."

"Does he live here alone?" Evangeline questioned, glancing at all the clean boardwalks and storefronts.

"He says there are other people here but that everyone keeps to themselves and stays inside." Colt shrugged.

"Clearly there have been no herds through here. Even if he says he deals with the flesh eaters as they come, he could not have handled a herd without some part of this town being destroyed." Comanche observed.

"Maybe he's really alone here, Colt," Evangeline said. "Maybe he's just lonely and pretends there are other people here."

"It's possible." Colt nodded and scratched at his bearded chin. "Comanche and I will take turns keeping watch tonight though. I don't trust this man."

"You said he wasn't mean," Ox spoke up.

"He wasn't." Colt admitted with a snort. "He was downright cheerful. If there's two things I don't trust nowadays it's cheerful and normal. He was cheerful and this town seems normal, other than the fact that it's empty; that means I don't feel real good about being here."

"This man is no real threat, Colt. If he is indeed alone here I can end what worry you have of him quite easily." Comanche assured the other man as he ran his hand over the bone handle of his knife.

"You wouldn't kill an innocent man!" Rachel exclaimed. "That would make you no better than a common murderer!"

Comanche fixed her with a cool stare. "I would kill any threat to myself or this group."

"There's no proof that this doctor is a threat!" Rachel argued angrily. "Maybe he is telling the truth or maybe he is lonely and sad and a little off in the head. Whichever it may be neither of those things means he is a threat to any one of us."

Comanche looked down his nose at the woman. Comanche saw everyone in this group as his family, except this woman. She was harsh, judgmental and full of hate. It did not matter what image the woman now tried to put forth, or how often she bit her tongue; Comanche knew that inside she was still the same.