To Be A Warrior

Chapter 18: The Jellicle Ball

"Okay, Runners, turn left at the cinema," Jody instructs. "Five, Steve, Lobatse, Janine's brought this intel at a really high price, so we need to make it count. Our informant's given us a list of Last Rider supply dumps. You three have a wide range of expertise and I need you workin' together today. That's not goin' to be a problem, is it?"

"Why would it be a problem?" I ask with a slight frown.

"Not on your end, Callista."

"Oh." I cast a glance at Steve and Kefilwe. "Oh."

"We're professionals, Jody, love," Steve says before I can ask what relationship issue the two are having now. "Here to find out what we can about the Riders and steal some supplies."

"How are the survivors of the rave?" Kefilwe asks softly, and Jody sighs in response.

"Traumatized. More even than normal zombie attack survivors. They really thought the cure meant they could have a party in peace."

The blonde's face hardens. "There is always someone to whom peace and quiet mean they must listen to the voices inside their own heads. Those are the people who must fill silence with explosions."

My eyes go wide before I snap my gaze over to Steve, who seems to be fighting back a sneer.

"Is that a comment about me?" He asks, but Kefilwe shakes her head.

"Not at all! And we are going to be professional today, Steven."

I internally cringe at the faux politeness. Oh, this is going to be such a terrible time for me.

"Okay!" Jody pipes in with forced cheerfulness. "So, to take your minds off... this, long range cams show six Riders headin' for your location. You need not to be around when they get there."

Steve hums. "Well, we can't waste intel, so we have to check out each supply dump."

"That's right. And because it's just that sort of gray, drizzly day, you've picked up a couple of zoms. Okay, professionals, the first dump is the tattoo parlor at the end of the road. Get there before the zoms or Riders, or-"

"We know," Kefilwe cuts in, and I'm taken aback by her clipped and impatient tone. "Let's run."

I want to ask what could possibly have happened to make them this upset, but since this mission is of importance, talking about our emotions could be distracting. The last thing we need is to be distracted and end up getting caught by the Last Riders. After seeing what they did to all those people, I'd hate to see what they'd do to us.

I don't understand how someone could do that to another person and be okay with it, laugh about it. Those were innocent people there. I don't like raves. I don't like the idea of being pushed against a ton of other sweaty people dancing with flashing lights while being high off of whatever drugs ravers take, since it's obviously not heroin. I don't like that, but other people apparently do, and this was a way for people to come together, to be happy...

And the Last Riders made sure to destroy it.

And some of them are headed our way, probably wanting to keep their caches safe. The zoms don't seem to be much of a problem. They can't even keep them selves upright. I suppose it's because of the streets still slick with last night's rain and early morning's drizzle.

It might make things harder for the Riders, too. Roads that are wet can often mean those in vehicles have to drive slower than normal. So, this will either slow them down, or they won't care and will crash. I hope they crash. They deserve to after what they did to those people.

Their massacre does show us that we've been underestimating them. At first we thought they were just a bunch of violent idiots, but for them to have created this drug and lace it with zombie blood and give it out to everyone at the rave proves that they have at last some working brain cells. Or at least, certain ones do. And if there are Riders who actually are smart and can come up with a plan the others will follow, we're all in trouble.