All Is Silence - Deserted Lands #1

Chapter 13 - Part II

ZACH AND NEV DIDN'T TALK much on the way back.

When they got to the lake, Lizzie ran out to greet them. Zach could see another manic mood.

Lizzie said. "Let's go to Western."

"The university," Zach said. "Why?"

"Maybe there are more people," Lizzie replied. "Maybe young people, college students, are more likely to survive."

"Most of the kids at Evergreen went home right away," Nev said.

Zach saw her jaw clench. Why hadn't she gone?

"Well," Zach said, "we haven't been down that way, so we can go. But we go out safe. Every gun is loaded.

"Jeez, Zach," Lizzie said. "You sound as paranoid as me."

Zach ignored her comment and continued. "We watch ourselves. We gotta assume people are dangerous. If they don't have guns and a grudge, they might be infectious."

Lizzie scoffed. "The scientists say if we're alive we're okay."

The same thing he'd said to the cop. "Better safe than sorry," Zach said. He sounded like Gramps.

Lizzie didn't seem to hear. "Remember the ceremony in the rock circle at Western, Nev?" she chattered. "We wanted to communicate with Jess by a sending."

"Yeah. I was okay." Nev laughed, "as long as we didn't have to be naked."

"Shit." Lizzie's laugh was hollow. "Stupid little girls. But how're you gonna learn?"

Zach remembered Lizzie's Wicca phase; messing with magic made him nervous. Maybe he believed enough in higher powers to be scared. He parked in the main University parking lot next to Fairhaven College.

Lizzie continued. "If I was going to go to college it would have been at Fairhaven. Rumor has it their community garden has pot plants interspersed with the vegetables."

Lizzie had been talkative since he brought Nev north, but Zach knew it was more than being excited to see her. He remembered hunting with Gramps, when he'd got his first kill, a buck. Afterwards he couldn't stop talking. His father and uncle had teased him about babbling like a little girl; Gramps had only nodded. The blood and the warmth of the body had been nauseating, but he'd been wired, couldn't sleep. First kill. His mouth went dry as he realized his hadn't been human and saying 'first' implied there would be a second and a third.

They wandered through the campus—big gray monolithic buildings hidden among the trees.

It felt different here than the rest of the city, more alive. Zach couldn't quite put his finger on why. Then he realized. There were faint sounds, a murmur of people close by.

As they rounded a corner Zach spotted an older guy in a straw hat pushing a cart loaded with boxes. He wore a Hickory shirt like Gramps when he worked on the farm. The man waved at them and continued on. As if a group of strangers wandering in was an everyday thing. Zach looked at his companions. "People?"

"Let's catch up to him."

Zach hoofed it, but couldn't see where he'd gone.

They could hear the people before they got to the communal gardens. Zach was elated. People, dozens of them, were cleaning and picking produce: carrots, onions, cauliflower and broccoli. They looked up and nodded, but continued their work.

"Well, I'll be—" Zach wasn't sure what he'd expected from other survivors, not a brass band or anything, but he expected them to at least be interested.

"Hey, look." Lizzie pointed.

The man, his cart now empty, shuffled toward them with a grin on his face. He set aside the cart and came forward, taking his straw hat off and scratching his balding scalp. "Welcome." He offered his hand.

Zach hesitated, shrugged off his nerves about infection and shook the firm, calloused hand. "Thanks. You're the first people we've seen other than us."

"I'm Vern. We get a few folks trickling in. Yesterday some folks came down from Canada." Vern didn't seem to be able to stay still.

"I'm Zach. This is Nev, Lizzie... And the kids."

"Welcome. We can use more hands. Besides this—" He motioned to the garden, "we've got the Joe's Garden greenhouses over the hill."

"We aren't really into gardening," Lizzie said as if she could answer for them all.

Vern's smile fell a little.

Zach held his hand up. "Hold it, Lizzie. I'd be interested in helping out." He couldn't help but like the man. Lizzie glared at him.

"You help, you get fresh produce." Vern grinned. "The first batch is free."

Lizzie plastered on a smile. "We're trying to get uh, adjusted. Figure out what's up."

She stared at Zach like she wanted him to back her up. He shrugged. "Yeah."

Vern nodded. "Okay, I get it. Well, lots of work to do and the weather won't let it wait. Follow me if you want. I'll get you some food and you can 'figure out what's up.'" He set off at a brisk pace.

Zach pulled Lizzie close as she walked past him. "What the hell was that about, Lizzie?"

"He's weird. I don't trust him." She jerked her arm out of his and followed Vern.