State of Decay✔️

Chapter 35: Insubordination

Marcus waited for repercussions, but they didn't seem to manifest.

Two more days went by as they finished searching all the buildings on their side of the river and started really thinking about heading over to the other side. But while they were debating about that, Karen called in with something more important.

The result of this call was that now, he and Maya were standing in the middle of a sun-drenched field, not far from the very farmhouse that Marcus had rescued Jacob from last month, waiting for Karen to show.

She said the Army wanted to talk.

"I don't get it," Maya said while they waited. They both had on sunglasses. It was almost high noon. "I mean, after weeks and weeks of alternating between threatening us and ignoring us, suddenly, they want to talk? Something's up," she said.

"Well...maybe it's all gone to hell for them, you know?" Marcus replied.

Maya just grunted and kept looking around. He shifted uncomfortably as he waited. Ever since getting back from the courthouse, a thought had begun worming its way into his skull. It wasn't exactly a new thought, he'd asked himself this question several times before, but those other times, he'd been able to abate it, to wave it away with vague logic and maybe the occasional internal promise. Only this time it wouldn't go away.

If anything, it was getting worse.

What was their endgame?

What were they going to do? They couldn't live in this valley forever. It was too dangerous. Not to mention, they still didn't know how far spread the sickness was. Were there undead everywhere, or were they just here?

"There she is," Maya said, pushing herself up off the SUV they'd driven out here.

Marcus had kept his thoughts to himself, because the others seemed...well, happy. And didn't they deserve some happiness, after all the shit they'd gone through? He made himself focus on the dust trail that was approaching them. It seemed that Karen had found a big truck with a lot of carrying capacity and all-terrain drive.

She pulled up in front of them, killed the engine and got out.

Marcus studied her as she approached. She was wearing a thin tanktop, cut-off jean shorts, big workboots and sunglasses. Her hair was pulled into a rough ponytail. She was a hell of a lot tanner than she had been a few days ago.

She looked...good. Healthier.

She smiled as she approached them and hugged them both. "Marcus, Maya, I'm so glad you're here," she said.

"You look...good, Karen," Maya said. "You look a bit better."

"Thank you. I feel better. I'm not sure what it is but...being out here, on my own, taking care of business, it's been great, honestly. I still feel like crap about what happened but I don't feel like, you know, I'm liable to break down and cry my eyes out at the drop of a hat." She looked around, as if proudly surveying her own, personal domain.

"You mentioned the Army..." Marcus said.

"Yeah. The Army. I worked with them yesterday. They got hold of me, asked me to be a spotter for them. I pointed out some hordes in the farmland, a few big bastards. Today they said they needed help, because it's looking like someone is going to get overrun," Karen explained.

"Someone? Another enclave?" Maya asked.

"Yes, apparently. I thought Alice Miller was the only group out here, but it turns out there's one more. They don't have a radio. They're in trouble. That Sergeant Tan is there, on patrol I guess, and he's looking for help before he goes and saves them."