Chapter 26 #2
Zachary put a hand on Manny’s shoulder and squeezed. “Tony knew what it meant, of course.” He looked at Key. “He said goodbye to all of us, then he shot himself.”
Key leaned forward. “After he was bitten but before he turned?”
Manny took a deep breath. “Tony was strong.”
Jen slid her arm around his waist. “He was. And so are you.”
Cam saw Allie exchange a glance with Key and knew they were wondering whether Tony had been a member of their Goddesses-Talk-to-Me club.
Anyone who could retain control over their body and mind after being bitten—who could take action to kill himself, rather, before he fully turned—had to have some kind of gift.
Jessie had seemed so normal before their time at the Armory.
She’d maybe seemed a little distracted or distant but nothing that would cause the rest of the group to suspect that something was so completely wrong.
Cam had seen plenty of stealth-turning in the past—that sinister, quisling-like hiding in plain sight was one of the Zs’ most malevolent aspects—but he’d never heard of anyone acknowledging by word or action that they’d been bitten, much less RIPping themselves before becoming a zombie. It had to mean something important.
Maybe not a coincidence, then, that Rachel had found this particular group.
Odette stepped in and explained their destination, how the Plant was more or less the heart of the Missouri community Manny and Jen had heard about. The family seemed relieved and was more than happy to travel with them the rest of the way to the Plant.
Odette got very excited when she heard that Manny was fully bilingual.
His Spanish was Mexican rather than Puerto Rican.
“I won’t hold that against you,” she teased, which earned her a smile.
“But seriously, we need more Spanish speakers in the communities. There are so many migrant workers out there who still have trouble with English but are stuck in the US.” She grimaced. “More stuck than ever now.”
The two of them began a rapid-fire conversation in Spanish, and Cam and Key shared a smile.
“And what about your sons?” Key asked Jen.
“Son and child,” Jen corrected.
“He’s the son,” Ginger said, pointing at a smiling Zachary. “I’m more fluid. Any pronouns work fine, but when it comes to gender, I consider myself on more of a sliding scale.”
Key nodded. “I’m sorry for assuming. I’ll do better.”
Ginger nodded. “Accepted. I answer to pretty much anything said respectfully, so long as you don’t bind me to the binary.”
“Fair enough,” Key said. “I assume Ginger came from the hair?”
“Born with a full head of it,” Jen said, smiling at her younger child. “The nickname came naturally.”
“It fits me, Mom.” Ginger shrugged then winced, presumably from their wounds. “Can I have another tomato? I need to kill the pain with comfort food.”
Gray laughed. “I think I have something better.”
The rest of the night passed in easy camaraderie, thanks to full bellies and Gray’s tincture. Rachel and Key took watch, and Cam was grateful for the chance to relax in relative peace, especially given how this meeting had started.
This expanded group was like a small-scale version of what the Armory should have been. What it used to be.
They all shared more details about their backgrounds and their families, both groups chatting and telling stories. Zachary seemed to be the talker of the group, quick-witted and good-humored, with Ginger popping up to riff off their brother.
Zachary also spent a lot of time looking at Allie.
Or maybe that was Cam’s assumption because he kept looking at Allie. Jesus, I’m a mess.
When Jen heard more about the technology at the Plant, she brightened. “Zach is a solar-panel technician! This sounds like the perfect place for him.”
“For us,” Zachary corrected. “And I’m nothing special. I’m not a programmer or engineer—I really just took the job and got certified while I was finishing my degree.”
Odette shook her head. “Anyone who knows anything about making solar energy work should be at the Plant. They’re really trying to establish a grid beyond the compound so other communities have access to power. Malcolm has his many, many faults, but he’s doing good work there.”
“I’m excited to see it,” Allie admitted.
Zachary looked at Allie. “You’ve never been either?” he asked.
“I’m kind of new to the group too.” She smiled at Zachary, who returned it with interest.
Welp, now I kind of hate Zachary. That’s great.
“It’s her first trip,” Cam said, more abruptly than he meant to. “We haven’t been there in months.”
Odette gave Cam a curious look before turning her attention back to Allie and Zachary.
“But that’s mostly because we’re couriers and like to live on the road—and because of some family matters.
” She glanced at Cam again, and he winced.
She continued, “There’ve been Z attacks there, for sure, but the Plant has come through them all intact.
It’s a safe place. About as safe as you can get that we’ve found. ”
She fell silent, and Cam knew she was thinking about the Armory. Safe. For a given value of safe.