The First Days (As the World Dies #1)(76)

"Who is in charge around here?"

The Mayor again, sounding shrill.

"Well, I would say Travis," Juan said.

There were murmurs of agreement, Peggy and Curtis included.

"I'm an elected official!"

"Well, the new elections were just held and you lost," Juan answered.

"Take the handcuffs off," Travis ordered.

Handcuffs?

Katie realized the cold brace around her wrists was metal. She tried to open her eyes and failed. Something cold and wet was resting on her forehead and eye. An ice pack.

"Curtis, I am your boss!"

"Not anymore," Curtis answered.

"Give me the keys," Travis said.

Again, she tried to open her eyes.

"Hey, you awake?" Travis' voice, warm and strong. So much like her father.

Her eyes fluttered and light broke the darkness.

She felt him fumbling with the handcuffs.

"Kinky," she moaned.

Travis laughed and his features swam before her eyes and slowly solidified.

More figures pushed into her vision and she saw Jenni's large eyes.

"Not dead…" she managed.

"And not arrested," Juan assured her.

"You can't let her go," the Mayor protested.

"Watch us," Travis answered, and leaned down and gathered her up in his arms.

The ice pack tumbled off her head and onto the cot.

Wrapping her arms loosely around his neck, she whispered, "…need…to…stop…playing…romantic hero…"

"Yeah, I keep telling you that, but you just don't listen," Travis chided her playfully.

"She's bullheaded that way," Jenni agreed, following him as he carried Katie out of the room.

Katie slumped against Travis. "Head hurts," she said.

Then she slipped away again.





2. Movement





Jenni pushed her way into the city council meeting room and elbowed her way past the many people gathered there: townspeople, construction workers, city workers, other stragglers who had found their way here.

Everyone was pressed into the room.

At the council table sat Katie, Travis, Juan, the Mayor, Peggy and Curtis.

The room was already in an uproar.

"…we should have a say…"

"…who says what we should do…"

Jenni was relieved to see that Katie looked very alert despite her swollen face and blackened eye. Her lip was still swollen and cracked, but it didn't take away from the fierce look on her face.

Jason was seated toward the front and motioned Jenni over. She slipped into the seat he was saving for her and Jack rested his chin on her knee so he could have scratches behind his ears. He gave her a doggy grin of satisfaction as she commenced her scratching.

Curtis stood up slowly. "Okay, okay, let’s be civil about this. A lot has happened since yesterday. We need to stay calm."

The room quieted down a bit.

Curtis sat down and Travis stood up. "I'm not real good at leadership stuff, but we need to do something to make sure that what happened yesterday doesn't happen again. Now, my strong point is building and I can design new fortifications for this…uh…fort. Juan also has a lot of ideas and we are working together to expand our fort and also make it safer. Safer to live in. Safer to get in and out of. We're going to need a lot of volunteers.

Now, the Mayor here, he can run a city and he will be dealing with the logistics of that. Food distribution, water consumption, living quarters, all that."

The Mayor slowly raised his head and Jenni could tell he was a defeated man who had grabbed onto whatever was left of his power base.

"What about the lesbo?"

The voice came from the back of the room.

Travis' face darkened, but he kept his temper. "Katie, Bill, and Curtis have experience in law enforcement-"

"She killed Patrick in cold blood!"

"Patrick was bitten," Travis said softly. "A bite is deadly in this new world. He was dead already. And yeah, you get bit, you are going to be delivered out of this life fast and quick to keep the rest of us safe."

"That's murder!"

Jenni strained to see who was talking.

"No, it's being humane. Now, Katie, Bill, and Curtis are going to work together to make sure that everyone understands the new rules around here."

"Who gave you the right?" An older man now.

"No one. But it's what we are good at. We'll need everyone to work hard to keep this place safe." Travis looked grim. "We need to work together, or we will all die."

Katie said in a low voice, "Tell them the plans."

Travis nodded. "First off, we cleared out the zombies to the point that none have been seen since yesterday. Tomorrow, we'll dispose of all the bodies after removing the corral and clearing the area…"

He spoke softly, but firmly. Juan had a plan to devise a new entry point using the street to the east by rigging up what he called the "Panama Canal.”

It was a simple series of walls with gates. Anyone entering by vehicle would have to drive into two locks to give guards time to shoot any zombies who slipped in as well. Then the vehicle would enter an area behind the construction site that would be walled off and enter the garage of the building that had once housed a county newspaper office and distribution center.