“Will we be told about Ed’s group? Or is that something that will be top-secret?”
“Travis is pretty transparent with what’s going on, but there may be a delay between when they find out what’s up and when they tell us. They usually like to have some sort of plan in place before they spring anything on the general population. Sometimes I can get Juan to tell me, but he can be an asshole and hold out just to annoy me.”
The popping sound of gunfire startled Emma. A truck heavily laden with supplies was being offloaded a few feet away and no one appeared bothered by the racket. On the walls, guards were speaking into walkie-talkies. Monica didn’t appear concerned about the commotion either.
Noticing Emma’s worried expression, Monica said, “The guards will take care of the zombies. If they need help the siren will go off. It’s fine, really. Don’t worry about it.” Monica patted Emma on the shoulder and strolled toward the stairs that led over the wall to the main enclosure.
Emma followed. Life really was different at the Fort. It would take some getting used to.
But first she needed a bathroom.
26
The Legend Known As Katie
The rest of Emma’s day was spent resting. With her wrist injured, she was excused from kitchen duty. So instead of working in the kitchen all afternoon, she took a long, hot shower and fell asleep for several hours. Nightmares haunted her, waking her up abruptly. Each time she fell asleep, she dreamed again and again about being trapped in the restroom with the zombies slowly advancing on her. Among the dead, as usual in her dreams, were Billy and Stan, but this time they were joined by Macy and Julian, reunited in death and decay. As they closed in on her, she pulled the trigger on her pistol only to hear it click empty, and that was when she woke up every time.
When Emma stirred, groggy and sore, it was close to dinner time, so she dressed in a blue t-shirt and jeans and headed downstairs. Hungry, she needed some food, and maybe a drink to alleviate her anxiety.
The second the elevator doors opened, she knew something big was going on. The lobby was filled with people, most of them clustered around one focal point. Emma caught snippets of the conversations around her and understood what the excitement was about. Fort legend, Katie, was making an appearance. Joyful laughter and the hum of excited discussions flowed over Emma in one big wave, overpowering her senses. Her surroundings were too loud, too bright, and too crowded. Unanticipated claustrophobia swept over her and the panic attack that followed hit hard, stealing her breath away. The need to get out of the packed lobby boiled in her gut.
Pushing her way through the gathering, she caught a glimpse of the back of the blonde woman’s head at the center of the attention. Travis stood next to her, beaming with pride. From the way Katie’s head was tilted downward, she was most likely showing off her newborn daughter. That was even more cause for Emma to slip out and find a quiet space to recover. After her nightmares, it was hard to see a mother and child, safe and happy together.
Emma rapidly walked along the edges of the lobby to the hallway that would take her to the hotel exit. Heart thudding, she struggled not to break into a sprint. It wasn’t until she reached the memorial area outside the hotel that she realized where she was going. Sitting down on the bench facing the photos of the deceased, she set her trembling hands on her knees and took several deep breaths.
The panic attack made it feel like her chest was being pinched tight. Wiping unexpected tears away with the back of her hand, she fought to regain her composure. It would take time to get used to the sights, sounds, and aroma of so many people being around and reprogram herself not to identify unexpected movement, noise, and smells as a threat. But it wasn’t just the presence of so many people that had sent her fleeing. It was the absolute joy of the people celebrating a new life. She remembered being that mother at the center of attention, holding her newborn son, showing off the tiny being who’d grown inside her for so long, and entered the world holding her heart and dreams in his eyes.
“It’s not going to get easier for us,” Macy said.
Emma hadn’t noticed the other woman’s approach and started in surprise. Macy stood a few feet away with a sad, haunted look in her eyes. Dressed in a blue button down shirt, beige chinos, and Mexican sandals, Macy looked more like someone who worked in an office than a woman who fought across several states to save her zombie son. Macy blinked back tears of her own.
Macy hesitantly approached her. “I saw the woman with the baby.”
Clearing her throat so she could talk, Emma tried very hard to remain composed. “That’s Katie. The mayor’s wife.”
Emma scooted over to let Macy join her if she wanted to and was pleased when she took up the silent offer.
“Ah. I guess that explains the celebrity status.”
“She’s also the mom of the first baby in the Fort. That’s what Monica told me.”
“Having babies in this world...” Macy sighed.
“Life has to go on if humanity is to survive.”
The two women lapsed into silence for a minute or two. Emma rubbed her pounding head while Macy plucked at the skin around her fingernails. They were both trembling. Macy raised her eyes. Staring at the photos beneath their plastic protective covering, she gestured at the memorial.
“Who are they?”
“Those who died.” Emma tried hard not to focus on the photo of the woman with the black hair and eyes wearing a red sweater.
“Oh, I see. There’s a lot.”
“I’m not sure if it’s only for the people who died in defense of the Fort, or just those who were lost when the apocalypse started.”
“There are a few kids on there.” Macy pointed to a photo of a teenager. “But in this wor
ld, children have to fight as well, I suppose.”