Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2)(88)

Nerit was deep in thought, her finger tracing over the various points on the map.

“Who is out there right now?” Travis leaned against the counter and stared up at Peggy.

She really liked his style. He always gave his full attention to her and valued her opinion. It wasn't like how she had to bust heads with Manny constantly.

“Ed is out with his group protecting the harvesting of his peach groves right now,” Peggy answered. “He took Lenore with him.”

“Lenore?” Travis blinked.

“I felt she was ready,” Nerit muttered as she studied the map.

“Jenni is out on a scavenging run with Curtis, Katarina, Felix and Dylan,” Katie added. “They're due back soon.”

“Dylan? We sent Dylan out? Isn't he a bit young?” Travis arched an eyebrow.

“He just turned eighteen. We have men in the military that age...or at least we did,” Nerit pointed out.

“And no one out on the field is reporting anything odd? No bandits?” Travis lifted his eyebrows.

“No, just those waves of zombies showing up. Kinda like they do here. I think that's the bandits,” Peggy answered.

“I agree with that assessment.” Nerit began to write notes down on a pad of paper.

“You don't think they've decided maybe we're too big to take on?” Katie asked.

“I think they're trying to figure out what to do with us,” Travis answered.

“Agreed.” Nerit leaned over the map and studied it. “Waiting for a time to strike.”

Ken rushed down the hall from the communication center and leaped behind the counter. Hugging Peggy, he startled her.

“Oh, my gawd! You will not believe my news!”

Travis slightly smiled. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah! Ed called in from where they are getting all those delicious peaches!”

“So the good news is we're having peach cobbler?” Katie queried teasingly.

Ken gave her a dark look. “I'm building this up. You're cramping my style! Shush, you!”

“Spill it, Ken.” Peggy was about to smack him upside the head.

“My girl, Lenore, my bestest girl, is safe and on her way back with mission numero uno under her belt. That's the first part. Second part, Ed's boys were there!”

“No shit?” Peggy was stunned. Ed rarely spoke of the three sons that were somewhere out on the deadlands. When he did, it was often when he was drunk. The boys were all Ed had left in the world after his wife, Edna, had died. All three had been away at school on the first day. Peggy knew Ed had hopes they were still alive, but this was amazing news. “Seriously. The boys were all alive?”

“Yep! They fought their way back to Ed's farm and holed up there! They thought their Daddy was dead until they saw him in the peach groves with the team!” Ken danced around. “Lenore is trying to find out if any of them are gay.”

“I swear to God, all you think about is finding a boyfriend,” Peggy groused.

“Like you don't?”

“Hey, my sex life, or lack thereof, ain't your business.” Peggy shook her pen in his face.

“Hard up, aren't you?”

“I'm gonna kick your ass, Ken.”

Katie smirked. “My money is on Peggy if they throw down.”

Travis shook his head as he laughed. “Ken looks kinda vicious.”

Ken playfully snarled at him. “Okay, good news time is over! Back to the communication center!” He bounced back down the hall.

“I'm gonna choke him. I swear to God, I will,” Peggy muttered.

Nerit looked up from her map, seeming impervious to Ken's exploits. “I think I see how we need to handle this. What we need to do. They're after resources: food, guns, drugs, and women. We're going to need to lure them out. I think I know how.” She tapped the map with one finger.

Peggy leaned over and looked at where she was pointing. “Nerit, that's where you're from. No one is there.”

“The gun store is there,” Nerit said calmly.

Travis shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “You said the weapons are in the safe. They can't get in there.”

“Nope. They can't. But we're going to need those weapons. That ammunition. We've put off going out there.” Nerit looked very pale, but calm. “We should have gone before.” She pulled out her keys and handed them to Travis. “It's the round gold key and silver square one to get into the store. I will give you the safe combination.”

Everyone gathering around the map looked uncomfortable. An excursion to the gun store to reclaim the last of the gun stock and ammunition had long been on the list of things to do, but they had found other stockpiles to keep them well armed.

Peggy shifted on her feet, feeling uncomfortable with where this was going.

Travis slid the keys into his pocket. “We didn't really need to go until now, you know. ”

“We didn't go because of Ralph,” Nerit said simply. “And we have no time for such sentimentality anymore.”

Travis reached out and rubbed her shoulder gently. “We'll be respectful.”

“I know,” Nerit answered.

Katie slipped an arm around the older woman's waist. Nerit, surprisingly, leaned against her for comfort.