Siege (As the World Dies #3)(137)

Through her blurred vision, she could see Ed, Curtis and Kevin speaking. Beyond them, in the cockpit, Greta was flying the huge beast, whisking them to safety. Another figure appeared, sliding out of the seat beside Greta. The big, lumbering form of Bill moved past the three men talking softly together and moved with absolutely no grace to where she lay.

Mesmerized by her fuzzy vision, she didn’t dare move or blink her eyes for fear of him vanishing. Slowly, he knelt down next to her and took her hand gently in his. “I need you to know something before I go on, baby.”

“Bill,” she whispered, more tears filling her vision.

He shifted his weight and sat next to her on the floor. “When Doreen died there was nothing I could do but watch that cancer eat her up from the inside out. I sat on the Internet at night looking for alternatives, trying to find that magic cure for her. She was a spry thing but the cancer was too mean, too fast. It ate her up and when she died, she was so sad she had lost that battle. She had been so determined to win. If I could have taken her place, I would have. I would have given my life to save her.”

Katarina didn’t dare blink, but her eyes were so full of tears she could barely see him.

“Today, that thing came at you out of the brush and I didn’t think twice. I knew I could die right then and there, but I knew you would get away. I knew it! Don’t get me wrong, I tried hard not to get bit, but it got my hand pretty bad. I’d rather be going home with you than moving on. But I had a chance with you that I never had with Doreen. And I took it. And I’m glad for it.”



“Bill,” she whispered again.

“It’s okay,” Bette whispered, smoothing her hair back. “He’s at peace now.”

“She’s right, Kit-Kat,” Bill assured his bride-to-be. “I’m at peace because you’re alive. The fort needs you and you need them. You keep them strong and sure as the battle rages. You can do this. I know it. I’ve been damn lucky in my life to love two strong women. You keep strong, Kit-Kat. I love you.” “Bill,” she whispered again. The tears slipped out of her eyes and his blurred image vanished. All that was before her was an empty space on the floor.



Sobbing anew, she covered her face with her hands, his presence still close to her. Bette and Linda leaned over her, trying to soothe her, stroking her hair and back.

“Oh, Bill,” she cried again as she fully realized the depths of his love for her. Without a doubt, his last act in his life was to show her how much he loved her.





*

The door slid open and Kevin leaped out of the helicopter followed closely by Ed. Katarina appeared next, her face and eyes swollen, her expression grim. Linda helped Bette out, Ed joining her to lift her down.

Charlotte arrived with a wheelchair to take Bette to the clinic to set her arm. The Reverend moved forward to greet each person, whispering a soft prayer of thanks as he touched each one. When he reached Katarina, he held her in his arms and wept with her.

Travis reached out to Kevin and they clasped hands tightly. They stood in silence, their expressions tormented, then walked on together. “How does it look?” Kevin finally asked.



“You guys peeled off at least half of the undead. They’re on a steady trek away from here. What remains has slowed down slightly. Some are still turning back and following the others into the west. I think we confused them.”

“Dale and Ken?”

Travis shook his head grimly.

“Shit,” Kevin sighed.

Travis looked back to where Katarina was talking to the Reverend. “Losing Bill is one of the hardest hits this fort as ever taken. Everyone is important, but Bill...” “I know what you’re saying,” Kevin responded with a weary sigh. “Damn, it feels good to know we got a good portion of the zombies diverted, but losing Bill and the others doesn’t make it feel like much of a victory.”

As they walked through the different gates to get into the old construction site, the two men found themselves lapsing into silence. The people on the street gave them wide berth at the sight of their stooped shoulders and somber expressions. The word had spread quickly about the deaths that had occurred in the world beyond the walls.

They reached Juan’s memorial garden and found Katie sitting on a bench with Lenore. The big, black girl was crying silently, clutching a bright pink teddy bear. Peggy sat nearby dabbing at her eyes and smoking a cigarette. Maddie sat beside Rune, eyes closed, tears staining her face. Rune had his head down, his arm around Maddie’s shoulders, grief etched into his posture.

“This is just the beginning of it,” Kevin said somberly.



“I know,” Travis answered. Both of the men hesitated at the edge of the garden, feeling as if they were about to enter sacred ground. Above them the second helicopter was coming in.



“We did the right thing,” Travis said finally. “We’ve diverted half of them today.”

Kevin nodded. “Doesn’t make it feel any better though, does it?” “No. No it doesn’t,” Travis agreed.

Katarina came up behind them with the Reverend, her soft cries breaking both men’s hearts. They turned as she drew near and she forced a smile.

“He died like he wanted to,” she assured them.

Travis hugged her first and kissed her cheek. He could feel the deep shudders inside her body and it broke his heart. She turned to Kevin and hugged him, too.