ever got bit, I didn’t want him to hesitate. I wanted him to do it then and there. He didn’t want to hear any of that, but it was important for me that he did hear it, and finally he agreed. I think he agreed to shut me up, but…
“If I slow you down,” he continued, “and the days gonna come I think, real fast, when I do slow you down, just leave me. Keep heading north, cross the bridge I told you about, keep goin’. Don’t worry about me.”
“Understood.” Bear’s voice was low.
The dead sat in their chairs and the living sat on the floor.
“Does it help?” asked Buddy.
“What’s that?”
“Your religion? You’re one of those born-again types, aren’t you? I mean, you’re pretty low-key about it and all, but…”
“I was.”
“Not anymore?”
“Back in Eden…I lost my faith down in that basement.”
“ God .” Buddy couldn’t imagine. “What keeps you going man?”
“That woman and her baby. I’ve got to see them through this.”
Buddy nodded but Bear couldn’t see him.
“That note, on the table,” said Buddy. “What are we going to do about Dead Ted?”
Bear cleared his throat. “What do you wanna do about Dead Ted?”
Buddy thought about it.
“You know what? Nothing. Fuck Dead Ted.”
The Convoy
“Dude, what the fuck are you doing over there? Oh man.” Maurice walked up on Damar in the woods. When he said dude it sounded like doo. “You’re not whackin’ off are you?”
“You wish.”
“No seriously, doo, what the fuck you doing?”
Damar had his back to Maurice and was obviously handling himself.
“I’m trimmin’ my pubes, bro.”
“You’re fuckin’ kiddin’ me, right?” Maurice stood next to Damar and leaned forward to look. “You’re not fuckin’ kiddin’ me.”
“Right. I’m not fucking kiddin’ you. And you had to look.”
“Doo, what the fuck? Why are you grooming your pubes?”
“Man’s always got to be prepared.”
“Prepared for what?”
“Hot date, man. Can’t be having at it with some pretty young thang, unleash the beast, and he’s lost like a bird in a nest. Ya feel me?”
“You’re crazy, doo.”
Damar shrugged, made one last snip at his groin with the small surgical scissors, and stood there admiring his handiwork. An AKS rested barrel up against his thigh.
There was a low moan from the trees ahead of them.
“Let’s get out of here,” Maurice said. “You’re attracting an audience.”
“Maybe you can help me out, Mo. I got a lot of little wiry hairs back around my asshole I can’t get to, but maybe if I bend over—”
Maurice had started to walk off, back to their jeep, and waved a hand dismissively at Damar and his nonsense.
“Peepin’ Tom motherfuckers.” Damar looked into the foliage facing him, zipped and buttoned his jeans and picked up his assault rifle.
“Doo, you’re out of your mind.” Maurice said when Damar caught up to him.
“I’m out of my mind? Let me tell you what I am, bro. I’m ready for the hot and heavy.”
“Uh-huh.”
“How ‘bout you, Mo’? You ready if Lauren ever give it up to you?”
“You fucked up, doo, you know that?”
“I’m fucked up? World’s gone to shit, but a man and woman still attracted to one another. That’s a beautiful thing to me, bro. I mean, it would be a beautiful thing if the woman knew you existed. You gotta talk to her nigga.”
“Doo, there are some things I wish I had never told you.”
They were within sight of the jeep on the road and could see Steve, Eva and the kid. The kid was standing on a milk crate with the shoulder stocks of the Browning .50 cal. snug against his shoulders. The machine gun had a night vision scope mounted on it.
“Don’t worry, Mo. We’s cool. I’m just saying, when it comes to Lauren, you got no game
“If I slow you down,” he continued, “and the days gonna come I think, real fast, when I do slow you down, just leave me. Keep heading north, cross the bridge I told you about, keep goin’. Don’t worry about me.”
“Understood.” Bear’s voice was low.
The dead sat in their chairs and the living sat on the floor.
“Does it help?” asked Buddy.
“What’s that?”
“Your religion? You’re one of those born-again types, aren’t you? I mean, you’re pretty low-key about it and all, but…”
“I was.”
“Not anymore?”
“Back in Eden…I lost my faith down in that basement.”
“ God .” Buddy couldn’t imagine. “What keeps you going man?”
“That woman and her baby. I’ve got to see them through this.”
Buddy nodded but Bear couldn’t see him.
“That note, on the table,” said Buddy. “What are we going to do about Dead Ted?”
Bear cleared his throat. “What do you wanna do about Dead Ted?”
Buddy thought about it.
“You know what? Nothing. Fuck Dead Ted.”
The Convoy
“Dude, what the fuck are you doing over there? Oh man.” Maurice walked up on Damar in the woods. When he said dude it sounded like doo. “You’re not whackin’ off are you?”
“You wish.”
“No seriously, doo, what the fuck you doing?”
Damar had his back to Maurice and was obviously handling himself.
“I’m trimmin’ my pubes, bro.”
“You’re fuckin’ kiddin’ me, right?” Maurice stood next to Damar and leaned forward to look. “You’re not fuckin’ kiddin’ me.”
“Right. I’m not fucking kiddin’ you. And you had to look.”
“Doo, what the fuck? Why are you grooming your pubes?”
“Man’s always got to be prepared.”
“Prepared for what?”
“Hot date, man. Can’t be having at it with some pretty young thang, unleash the beast, and he’s lost like a bird in a nest. Ya feel me?”
“You’re crazy, doo.”
Damar shrugged, made one last snip at his groin with the small surgical scissors, and stood there admiring his handiwork. An AKS rested barrel up against his thigh.
There was a low moan from the trees ahead of them.
“Let’s get out of here,” Maurice said. “You’re attracting an audience.”
“Maybe you can help me out, Mo. I got a lot of little wiry hairs back around my asshole I can’t get to, but maybe if I bend over—”
Maurice had started to walk off, back to their jeep, and waved a hand dismissively at Damar and his nonsense.
“Peepin’ Tom motherfuckers.” Damar looked into the foliage facing him, zipped and buttoned his jeans and picked up his assault rifle.
“Doo, you’re out of your mind.” Maurice said when Damar caught up to him.
“I’m out of my mind? Let me tell you what I am, bro. I’m ready for the hot and heavy.”
“Uh-huh.”
“How ‘bout you, Mo’? You ready if Lauren ever give it up to you?”
“You fucked up, doo, you know that?”
“I’m fucked up? World’s gone to shit, but a man and woman still attracted to one another. That’s a beautiful thing to me, bro. I mean, it would be a beautiful thing if the woman knew you existed. You gotta talk to her nigga.”
“Doo, there are some things I wish I had never told you.”
They were within sight of the jeep on the road and could see Steve, Eva and the kid. The kid was standing on a milk crate with the shoulder stocks of the Browning .50 cal. snug against his shoulders. The machine gun had a night vision scope mounted on it.
“Don’t worry, Mo. We’s cool. I’m just saying, when it comes to Lauren, you got no game
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