100-Days-in-Deadland(70)

I glanced at Clutch who looked as tense as I felt. Without looking down, I checked my rifle to make sure the safety was off. I realized now it had been a mistake coming here today. Doyle was a power-monger. And he clearly wanted Clutch. That Doyle wanted Clutch alive or dead, I hadn’t yet figured out.

“Watch it,” Tyler said. “You’re grossly overstepping your bounds.”

Doyle pointed at the pit full of zeds. “My men are protecting the Fox River valley. If we hadn’t destroyed these monsters, how many more lives would be lost by now? We are not asking for gratitude. All I ask for is a little support and regular supplies. You need to talk to Lendt and get him to grant my men full access to Camp Fox’s resources. Enough of this rationing bullshit.”

“No,” Tyler said. “From what I’ve seen lately, I’m going to advise Lendt that the militia should be reassigned under my command.”

Doyle pulled down his bandana. “And exactly what do you think you’ve seen, Masden?”

Tyler jutted out his chin. “I know you’re feeding me bullshit every week. For starters, do you think I wouldn’t notice that you have a hell of a lot more people on this camp than just the militia and their families?”

“It takes a lot of support resources to run a successful militia.”

“If you haven’t been killing so many zeds and bringing in survivors, I would’ve shut you down a month ago,” Tyler snapped back.

Doyle watched Tyler carefully. “You should tread carefully, Captain. Times have changed. Nature will take its course, just as it always has. The weak will die, leaving only the strong. If we waste our efforts protecting the weak…” Doyle shot a gaze at me before turning back to Tyler, “then we will all fall to the zed horde. You are incorrect, Captain. As the leader of the militia, I have the right to do whatever it takes to ensure my men are the strong.”

“You’re fighting each other when we should all be fighting the zeds together,” Clutch growled out. “You two can work out your own shit. I’m out of here.”

With that he turned, shot me a look, and headed back to the door, with me at his side. The guard from earlier blocked the door.

“Out of my way, boy,” Clutch ordered.

The man looked nervously past our shoulders and didn’t move.

“Think it through, Clutch,” Doyle called out, sounded exasperated. “You’re trained to analyze every situation. You know joining with me is the only logical decision.”

Clutch’s back straightened and he turned around. “And if I don’t?”

“Then you’ll realize your mistake when you find you’re unable to protect your own people.”

“Now that sounds an awful lot like a threat,” Clutch said.

“Enough, Doyle!” Tyler yelled out. “Sarge isn’t militia. He’s retired military and has been recalled to active duty as of thirty seconds ago,” Tyler said, his voice deeper and louder than before. “How he serves is Lendt’s decision. We’ll continue this discussion later at Lendt’s office.”

I heard it then. The hearty growl of a big engine. I searched until I found a green garbage truck barreling toward us. This truck was undamaged and didn’t have all the armor plating, but it was from the same garbage company. When it approached, I tensed.

It stopped, then turned and backed up toward the pit, the sound of beep-beep-beep echoing around us. The back lifted and dumped two more bodies onto the pile. I covered my nose and scanned the pile to make sure none were moving.

“You see, Captain,” Doyle said. “How many lives did we save today?”

Tyler didn’t reply.

Smugly smiling, Doyle turned to the man getting out of the truck. “I trust everything went well, Keith?”

The driver bowed to Doyle before speaking. “No problems.”

I gasped. “You.”

The man looked. His eyes widened, and he froze.

We’d found the fourth rapist. The one who got away.

Clutch and I raised our rifles at the same time. Doyle’s guards and Tyler and his men raised their rifles in response.

“Whoa.” Tyler held up one hand above his rifle. “What’s going on here?”

“Stand back,” Clutch nodded to the newcomer Keith, “That rat bastard is responsible for the rape, torture, and death of a young woman.”

“Do you have proof?” Tyler countered, though Tack and Griz both moved their rifles onto the Dogs.