To Be A Killer

Chapter 80: There Is Power In A Union

"Okay, night has fallen. Well, I mean, night fell a few hours ago. It's really like early, early in the morning, but uh, yeah. The zombie moaning and shrieking and rattling of the fence has started up as usual. Honestly, I'm sure you miss it here. And Moonchild's forces have eased off for the day."

"How's things going, Sam?" I ask. We've been traveling for two days now, three if you count today. I miss home already. I miss my kids already. I can't wait for this to be over with.

"Eh, not bad. Not bad. Amelia and Janine have reached some kind of truce based on swapping stories of famous military commanders. They pulled a maneuver today where they covered the mind controlled New Cantoners with animal entrails, so the zombies attacked them and they fell back."

"Sounds fun," Maxine says while I silently grimace.

"Hey, as long as they are attacking us, it means Moonchild doesn't know you've got the Zombie Repelling Device," He says, a shrug in his voice. "And the longer she doesn't know that, the safer you are. And if we keep her from that 'til January twenty first, when the satellites align-well, if we can do that, we're golden."

"Do you think we'll be able to keep that from her til MLK day? I mean, that's five  days." I ask.

"Let's hope so. But right now we need to focus on getting the stupid thing working again." Sam lets out an exasperated sigh. "Can't believe the battery's stopped working. I mean, what it is, product of Argos?"

"We should be able to fix it here though, right?" Maxine asks. "I think that's the light up ahead, through the trees."

"Yep, that'll be it. Keep following the river. The compound is right on the banks."

Maxine places her hand on my arm. "Careful, Five. It's slippery. The last thing we want is for you to fall in."

"Why? It's not like I can get pneumonia. The cold water might actually help with the soreness," I mumble tiredly. The long run from the day we chased down the Radio Cable guys left quite the aftereffect on me. My entire body hurt so bad yesterday Maxine had to help me walk for the first few hours. That's why it took us so long to get here.

"As amusing as it would be to see you slip into the river and get soaking wet, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable since you'll have enough of a problem trying to sneak into Henley-On-Thames, current home of our best hope of fixing the anti-zombie doohickey."

"And you're sure Pro. Downes lives here?" Maxine asks.

"Judging by the Roufflenet rage when people found out about the Henley Compound, they're pretty damn sure. 'One of the few Comansys scientists still with them, an expert in micro-power systems and most of Comansy's technology, living the life of luxury in a high security, rich, survival colony on the bank of Thames.'" He lets out a breath of air. "The Roufflenet folks hit the roof."

"Y-Yeah, I can definitely see the light now." We both pause behind a tree when we notice the light is moving. There's another light doing the exact same thing.

"Spotlights," I whisper.

"Yep," Sam says. "What? You didn't think this compound wasn't heavily guarded, did you? Nah. Where would be the fun in that?"

"You say that because you aren't out here with us," I scoff.

"I am so with you, in spirit and in mind and in body. Well, not in mind. That was Moonchild... Oh... Yikes. Sorry. Sorry. But I am here in the other ways."

"I get the 'in spirit', but 'in body'?" I ask.

"Yeah, I mean, not like... I'm not in... your body right now or anything... Wait." He chokes, and I feel the blood rush to my face. "Oh, God! I wasn't meaning that I ever was or will be-I mean-I just-I'm not in your... a-and I don't want to be-I mean, not that I don't ever want to be, I-wait! Shit! No!"