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

Chapter 3

Chloe and I got back into the Mazda and started down the ramp. I spotted the Chevy Avalanche at the bottom of the exit and we waited for them to get moving. Roy was saying something to the other two, they nodded and broke apart. Karla and Tim headed up the ramp, back to their posts while Roy got into the truck. He peeled out and I set after him.

"Do you think these are good guys?" Chloe asked.

I hate that we had come to classifying people as good or bad guys.

"I think they're just scared, that's all and that's why they had all the security in place," I choose my words carefully.

"That guy looks kinda familiar," she pointed to the truck we were following

I thought about it, "When would you have seen him?"

"Dunno, but he just does," she shrugged.

Maybe we had seen him at the school, but I didn't remember much of that other than us trying to escape alive. We were led down the main road for about five minutes when the truck took a right and we copied. The streets had no one living or otherwise on them.

"Do you think there'll be lots of people? Do you think maybe Ethan is there?" Chloe asked turning to me, excitement lacing her voice.

"I have no idea; I guess we will find out."

The truck came to a stop in front of an aged, low-rise apartment. I pulled up behind him and Roy got out. He headed towards us so I turned off the vehicle and exited.

"This is what we are protecting," he motioned to the apartment complex.

Curtains were drawn back and faces peered out the various windows at us.

"How many people are staying here?"

"About thirty right now. We've had all sorts of numbers, as much as seventy once, but people move on and such."

It was the 'and such' part that caught my attention.

"Why the heavy security screening?" I decided to just get it over with, we could leave easily while we were still outside.

Roy sighed, "You really want me to explain right here?"

"I'm sure as hell not stepping foot inside without some sort of explanation. I got a kid I have to look out for too."

"I have a daughter inside there," he motioned to the building, taking a few seconds. "No doubt you've seen those markings on the highway?"

He didn't need to clarify; I knew exactly which ones he was talking about. I nodded.

"We think they belong to this gang or group or whatever they are and they have been causing all sorts of problems. You see those bullet holes?"

I turned and squinted at the building. Sure enough, black dots lined the outside in various places. It was then I noticed the few boarded up windows and barely hanging on side paneling.

"They attacked you?" I asked. The last thing I needed was to get in the middle of a turf war.

"Yes, and we lost innocent people and even worse, some of the members had disguised themselves as regular survivors and sought haven here. They took some people, just one or two, but it was... awful," Roy swallowed loudly. "All I've got left now is my daughter and I will not let something like that happen again. After the incident we set up watch shifts at the off-ramp and roof of the building. They keep an eye for intruders and the rest go on small scavenging trips for supplies."

"How did you know they belonged to that group?" I probed.

"We didn't think anything of it until later, but the ones that kidnapped people and disappeared that night always wore a pendent, right out in the open, that looked like the spray-painted symbol. And they left a huge reminder of who did this." Roy started off down the sidewalk.