Chapter 4 #2
He put the cup down, and turned it in small circles, the chipped ceramic scraping against the pine tabletop.
“I know your type,” he said.
“And what type is that?” I asked.
He stilled, his cup scraping against the table one final time.
It was the last sound before quiet settled in, and Levi locked his eyes—bloodshot, tired, but sharp as a blade—on mine.
“Military. Spec-ops more than likely. Comfortable with violence. Might even like it. So yeah, I know your type. What you can do. If it wasn’t for Kathleen, I’d be one of you.
But that girl—she is the last thing that I would even consider calling family.
You screw with her, you’re gonna have to deal with me. ”
“If you think you know who I am, does threatening me seem like the smartest approach?”
“Like I said, I know your type. You appreciate the directness. And that wasn’t a threat, son. It was a bonafide guarantee,” he said.
The old man thought I would hurt her.
That I was dangerous.
He was right about the second part.
But not because I would hurt Asia, but because of how much I wanted to keep her.
Because of how far I’d go to make sure nothing ever touched her.
I couldn’t tell him that, though.
“Message received,” I said.
Levi, who had sat up straight, leaning back, the chair groaning under his changed position, and tapped the stack of maps on the table. “Good. Now how are we going to protect this place?”
I was more than glad to get down to business. “Your current setup has problems. Too much open ground, too many approaches. But it’s got potential, too. Space to maneuver, good sight lines, multiple fallback positions. Potential to be self-sustaining. All you need are the right modifications.”
“What kind of modifications?”
I sketched a rough layout on a napkin. “Reinforce the perimeter here and here. Observation posts. Choke points that force combatants into killing fields. Early warning systems.”
“You’re talking about turning my wife’s home into a fortress.”
“I’m talking about fighting back against whatever comes. Dead or alive.”
“You say that like it’s inevitable.”
“I know it is. Question is whether you’re ready.”
Levi stared at my crude diagram. “How long you planning to stay?”
The question I dreaded.
The one I couldn’t answer.
“Long enough,” I finally said.
An hour later, I gathered everyone in the living room.
Miles, Lourdes, Caitlin, and Bridget all looked toward me.
Asia looked at Levi.
He looked out over the group.
“World’s always been hard, but never like this.
Y’all need somewhere to be, and I need help, so I think we can make this arrangement work.
Y’all can stay in the house,” he gestured toward Asia, Bridget, Caitlin, and Lourdes.
Then settled his gaze on me. “I trust you to make appropriate sleeping arrangements?”
Asia shifted her weight and coughed, sounding every bit the guilty kid before she nodded.
I continued to hold Levi’s gaze and refused to contradict him.
Asia more than an arm’s length away was intolerable.
But I didn’t have the words to say that.
Didn’t want to think about why.
“Any issues with any of this?” Levi said.
“Nope,” I responded for everyone else.
It was Levi’s turn to nod. “Good. Now what am I gonna say next, Asia?” Levi said.
She smiled, the expression soft, reflective, filled with fondness. “Everybody pulls their weight, or the boat sinks,” she said.
I could easily imagine a younger Asia hearing and repeating those words.
I didn’t know the exact contours of their relationship, but I knew their bond ran deeper than blood.
“Great. So what does that look like?” Caitlin asked.
“This place is big, which is a plus and a minus. It’s late now, so we need to get cleaned up. Then tomorrow we look into fortification.”
“You said there’s a town?” It was Bridget who spoke.
“There is, and we’ll see what’s going on there. But for now, I want to make sure this place is in shape,” I said.
“So you can leave?” Miles asked.
His expression was placid, but I couldn’t help but see the little boy in him.
“One step at a time, kid,” I said.
I didn’t dare risk looking at Asia, not sure that I wanted to even try to gauge her reaction.
“Miles, Elliot, come with me and Levi to walk the perimeter. Ladies, why don’t you get cleaned up?”
“You gonna tell us to get dinner ready or something?” Caitlin said.
“We know you can’t cook, Caitlin,” Lourdes said.
The room, which had been tense, erupted in laughter.
“Guilty as charged.” Caitlin shrugged.
“No cooking assignments. Clean up while we walk the perimeter, then we’ll rotate and reconvene.” Everyone nodded and set off.
Asia lingered, and I drifted toward her.
“You talked to Uncle Levi?” she said.
“Yeah. We came to an understanding.”
“Care to share details?” she asked.
“No. Go shower. We’ll talk later,” I said.
She shook her head, smiled.
“Even at the end of the world, it’s good to see that some things remain ever constant.”
“Yeah, Asia, I’m still an asshole. Don’t expect that to change.”
She smiled brightly. “Jackson, the dead are walking. We live in a world of infinite possibility.”
Her laughter followed her down the hall, and I stood there, longer than I should have, tracking the sound until it faded.
Promised myself I’d make this place a fortress.
That was always the plan. Get her here. Make sure she was safe. Then find Evan.
An image of my brother flashed behind my eyes.
I remembered the promise I’d made to him.
The one I’d never broken.
Wondered how the fuck I would make myself leave.