it.
“Who says?” Bishop asked, staring up at him with her intense hawk-eyes. “You?”
“Yeah, me. I appreciate your age and experience – ” Boden said, and she scoffed and laughed.
“I ran the civilians at the quarantine,” Bishop reminded him, her tone icy. “I know how to take care of people.”
“Yeah, maybe in there you do.” Boden pointed in the direction the quarantine was. “But this is out here. We’re at war with the undead, and I’m the soldier. I pull rank over you.”
Bishop was probably twice his age, but she was much smaller. He was nearly a foot taller, and his shoulders were broad and strong.
While they continued arguing about who was in charge, Daniels decided to do something. He walked awkwardly over to Serg and extended a hand to him.
“I’m Craig Daniels.” He smiled at him, glancing back over at Bishop and Boden when Bishop raised her voice, and Boden hissed at her to quiet down.
Serg shook his hand and smiled wanly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause problems for you all.”
“That?” Daniels waved off Bishop and Boden. “That’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“So… it’s okay if I stay?” Serg asked hesitantly.
“Uh…” Daniels glanced back at Nolita, who shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
“Thank you.” Serg smiled again and took off his bag, setting it carefully down on the bank.
“So, where are you from?” Daniels asked, attempting strained small talk.
“I was from Michigan originally, but that was a very long time ago.” Serg’s expression went a dark.
It was a familiar look. The one people got when they thought about the past, when they remembered what life had been like before zombies roamed the Earth. Everybody who’d lived this long had lost so much to survive. We outlasted our homes, our pets, our friends, even our society.
Nolita went over with Daniels to continue the banal introductions, so I turned my attention back to where Boden and Bishop were still fighting.
“Max, go sit with Teddy,” I said. Teddy was sitting by the fire with Stella on his lap, and I knew that if Serg suddenly went ballistic, Teddy would protect the kids.
“Why?” Max asked.
“Just go do it,” I commanded, and I went over to Boden and Bishop.
“You can’t compare that.” Boden was shaking his head when I reached them. “What you did at the quarantine is not the same as running an army.”
“Well, this isn’t an army, is it?” Bishop shot back.
“Enough,” I said, loud enough to get the attention of both of them. “It doesn’t matter who’s in charge. And besides that, neither one of you have the right to make decisions carte blanche for all of us.”
Boden fell silent for a few seconds before quietly saying, “Someone is the leader, though.”
I shot him a glare, and he lowered his eyes and stopped talking.
“I don’t know if he should stay the night with us,” I said, lowering my voice so it was barely audible over the rain. “I don’t like the idea of just picking up strangers. You never know who you can trust anymore.”
“This isn’t our bridge, Remy.” Bishop looked at me incredulously. “We can’t just kick him out. Not when it’s raining. We should help our fellow man in times like this.”
“I know that, and ordinarily I’d agree with you.” My gaze went back over to where Stella and Max were sitting with Teddy. “But it’s not just us. We have kids here that can’t defend themselves very well.”
“Your brother seems pretty resourceful to me,” Bishop pointed out. “He took care of himself against a town overrun with zombies.”
“Zombies aren’t the same as people,” Boden said, echoing my thoughts exactly. “They’re getting smarter, but they’re not rational. They can’t trick you or steal from you when you’re sleeping.”
“Well, I’m not sending him away,” Bishop said, her eyes shifting angrily between Boden and me. “If you think that’s what you need to do, you can go to
“Who says?” Bishop asked, staring up at him with her intense hawk-eyes. “You?”
“Yeah, me. I appreciate your age and experience – ” Boden said, and she scoffed and laughed.
“I ran the civilians at the quarantine,” Bishop reminded him, her tone icy. “I know how to take care of people.”
“Yeah, maybe in there you do.” Boden pointed in the direction the quarantine was. “But this is out here. We’re at war with the undead, and I’m the soldier. I pull rank over you.”
Bishop was probably twice his age, but she was much smaller. He was nearly a foot taller, and his shoulders were broad and strong.
While they continued arguing about who was in charge, Daniels decided to do something. He walked awkwardly over to Serg and extended a hand to him.
“I’m Craig Daniels.” He smiled at him, glancing back over at Bishop and Boden when Bishop raised her voice, and Boden hissed at her to quiet down.
Serg shook his hand and smiled wanly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause problems for you all.”
“That?” Daniels waved off Bishop and Boden. “That’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“So… it’s okay if I stay?” Serg asked hesitantly.
“Uh…” Daniels glanced back at Nolita, who shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
“Thank you.” Serg smiled again and took off his bag, setting it carefully down on the bank.
“So, where are you from?” Daniels asked, attempting strained small talk.
“I was from Michigan originally, but that was a very long time ago.” Serg’s expression went a dark.
It was a familiar look. The one people got when they thought about the past, when they remembered what life had been like before zombies roamed the Earth. Everybody who’d lived this long had lost so much to survive. We outlasted our homes, our pets, our friends, even our society.
Nolita went over with Daniels to continue the banal introductions, so I turned my attention back to where Boden and Bishop were still fighting.
“Max, go sit with Teddy,” I said. Teddy was sitting by the fire with Stella on his lap, and I knew that if Serg suddenly went ballistic, Teddy would protect the kids.
“Why?” Max asked.
“Just go do it,” I commanded, and I went over to Boden and Bishop.
“You can’t compare that.” Boden was shaking his head when I reached them. “What you did at the quarantine is not the same as running an army.”
“Well, this isn’t an army, is it?” Bishop shot back.
“Enough,” I said, loud enough to get the attention of both of them. “It doesn’t matter who’s in charge. And besides that, neither one of you have the right to make decisions carte blanche for all of us.”
Boden fell silent for a few seconds before quietly saying, “Someone is the leader, though.”
I shot him a glare, and he lowered his eyes and stopped talking.
“I don’t know if he should stay the night with us,” I said, lowering my voice so it was barely audible over the rain. “I don’t like the idea of just picking up strangers. You never know who you can trust anymore.”
“This isn’t our bridge, Remy.” Bishop looked at me incredulously. “We can’t just kick him out. Not when it’s raining. We should help our fellow man in times like this.”
“I know that, and ordinarily I’d agree with you.” My gaze went back over to where Stella and Max were sitting with Teddy. “But it’s not just us. We have kids here that can’t defend themselves very well.”
“Your brother seems pretty resourceful to me,” Bishop pointed out. “He took care of himself against a town overrun with zombies.”
“Zombies aren’t the same as people,” Boden said, echoing my thoughts exactly. “They’re getting smarter, but they’re not rational. They can’t trick you or steal from you when you’re sleeping.”
“Well, I’m not sending him away,” Bishop said, her eyes shifting angrily between Boden and me. “If you think that’s what you need to do, you can go to
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