"Katie left…"
"She'll be fine, Mom. She'll be fine. " Jason held her tightly to him and helped her walk.
"But we're a team. If I'm not with her, they'll get her. That's how it works. That's how it works. "
"Travis is with her, Mom. She'll be okay. C'mon, Mom. " Jason pulled her along and she went with him.
Jenni felt numb, disoriented, and overwhelmed. Katie needed to be here or she needed to be with Katie. That was how it worked. They had to be together, as a team, or else the zombies would get them.
The world started spinning again…
She fainted.
3. And Further Still
Katie looked at the gas gauge and frowned. As the truck tore over the bumpy country road, she was jostled about. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly to steady herself and her nerves. She let out a slow sigh.
"It's up ahead. Soon," Travis assured her. He was peering at a map, much like Jenni used to.
Jenni…
Katie wondered how she was doing. She had a feeling Jenni was not taking their separation well. Actually, she wasn't either. They had bonded so quickly, so tightly, to be separated felt odd and disorienting. Travis’ presence was different than Jenni's. It had her a little off balance. She wanted to reach out and take Jenni's hand and feel that it was all going to be okay. Instead, she gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"I'm sorry," Travis said softly.
"Why sorry?"
"It was my stupid idea to have us leave and now…" He shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Katie. I've never been a real leader before. I'm sure I'm fucking things up. "
"No, no, you're doing your best. Hell, none of us have any idea what we are really doing. "
"Except Juan with his zombie handbook. He assured me that the guns were important though he mumbled something about blades," Travis said grimly.
"Guns are effective. They just draw a lot of attention fast," Katie reminded him. "But I'd rather have a gun than a blade with some of the faster ones. "
"Yeah, Juan is still bitching about that. He keeps complaining that they're supposed to be slow. But some of the ones that aren't as screwed up are really damn fast. "
Katie let out a little laugh. "Actually, Jenni spent a good deal of time bitching about the same thing. "
"Gas station should be just around that bend. " Travis looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I'm really sorry. "
"It's okay. It's not like I haven't done this before. " She smiled at him and pulled into the Mom and Pop gasoline station Travis pointed to. "After two days of this, I'm an old pro. "
The station was a very old building with peeling white paint and heavy bars over the windows, but the pumps were new. A beat up, very old trailer was nestled behind the weathered gas station. Travis looked out his window.
He turned to her. "It looks clear. I'll see if I can get into the building and turn on the pumps. The readouts on the pumps are still working, so the electricity isn't out here. "
Katie pulled her credit card out of her pants pocket. "We could just try this. "
Travis looked at the card, then at her, and finally smiled. "I knew there was a reason I had you with me. "
Katie slid out of the truck, her gun drawn, her gaze sweeping over the terrain. She was feeling a little too hot and mushy headed. Wiping her brow, she glanced toward Travis to see that the credit card had worked. He grabbed the nozzle and gave her a wink.
"We're in business," he said.
"Just make it fast. "