Surge (30 page)

“What do you want to do with her?” I ask. Olivia’s smile turns cruel.

“I want to gut her, strangle her with her innards, and string her to the front of the building; but that would be too nice an end for her,” Olivia replies, and she sounds a tiny bit clearer as she taps her chin with a finger. “I have an idea, but I’ll need some help.”

“I’m willing to offer you a hand.”

“You sure?” Cory asks me. “Because I can handle it without you, if you have a weak stomach.”

“My stomach’s cast iron, no need to worry about me,” I counter and Cory grins.

“Good, because my twisted little sister here, has a plan.”

My eyes widen at the
‘little sister’
comment, since I thought that Cory had completely different feelings when it came to Olivia. Maybe his anger earlier wasn’t jealousy, like I assumed it was, but overprotection of a sibling? I can understand that if it’s the case, with a sister myself, and that protection is nowhere near enough when it comes to Olivia. She’s been through much more in her twenty years, than most do in their entire lives.

“What’s the plan?” I inquire. I’m game for anything. I don’t care if it’s to the drag the bitch through the streets by her red hair, all the while ringing a dinner bell for the wheezers to come and get it; I’ll do it with a smile.

“How much more rope and tape do you have?” Olivia asks.

“A lot,” I answer and look at her quizzically. “Why?”

“You’ll see why tomorrow,” she says with a mischievous smile.

Olivia then relates her plan for the next day. She wants to use the dead bodies as bait to lure the wheezers away with easy prey, rather than chasing after the live form, meaning us. It’s similar to the pigeon trick that Cory used, so I figure it’ll probably work, or at least slow them down a bit. Olivia doesn’t share what she’s going to do with Victoria, but wants to get the bodies moved and ready for tomorrow. She goes to stand, but I stay her with a look, and Cory with a hand.

“You’ve done enough today,” I reply. Olivia goes to argue, but I give her a stern look. “If you go out there now, everyone’s going to start asking questions.” Her eyes go distant. “But if you stay in
here
, you have a lock on the door that can keep everyone out.”

“It didn’t keep you out,” she points out.

“I’m special,” I say as I grin at her.

“That you are,” Olivia says dryly and taps the side of her head. “Right in here.” I laugh at that. “Alright, I’ll stay in here to avoid the inquisition, or else I may have to kill someone.” Olivia holds up Cory’s hand for me to see. “But you take Cory and have him help you supervise. He knows what I want, and you like to boss people around, so I know between the two of you, that the job will get done.”

“Livs, are you sure?” Cory asks and stares at Olivia for confirmation, which she gives in the form of a nod. “You scream for me, and I’ll come running.”

“No,” Olivia refuses with a violent shake of her head. “Even if you hear me screaming, never come running.” She grabs Cory by the shirt and pulls him toward her by it. “Ever. You hear me?”

“Fuck, that came out wrong,” he says as he backtracks. “If you need me, have someone come and get me, okay?”

“That’s better,” she says and hugs him. “Thank you, Cory, I love you.”

“Love you too, Livs,” he replies.

“Good, now go move some bodies,” Olivia orders and wrinkles her nose. “I can smell them reeking from here.” Laughing, Cory pulls back from the hug and kisses her forehead.

“Yes ma’am,” he says with his slight southern accent amped up for the country boy act.

“Get your lazy hillbilly ass moving,” I demand. “I want to be done sometime tonight.” Cory flips me off while he whispers something to Olivia, she nods before he follows me out the door.

“You’re a dick,” Cory begins when we’ve walked down the hallway a good twenty feet. “But you can be charming when you want to be.” I glance at him from the corner of my eye.

“Thanks, I think.”

“Just don’t fuck with her,” he warns. “She’s been through more than enough already, she doesn’t need any more shit to add onto the pile.”

“I know,” I agree. “And I won’t hurt her.” Cory gives me a hard look.

“You better not, or I’ll kill you myself,” he says. I nod at the threat, since I gave Danny a similar one, so I know the repercussions.

“I just want to be her friend, that’s all.” Cory barks out a laugh. “What?”

“Oh man,” he says as he wipes his eyes. “Now I know what she’s talking about.”

“What are you talking about? What did she say? Was it good? Bad?” Cory just keeps laughing as he walks away. What the fuck? I want to know, and am about to chase him down and pin him for answers, but John stops me.

“What is it this time?” I ask and rub my forehead to stave an oncoming headache. “Chelsea choked Kelly to death, and is now inconsolable? God, I hope so. Or is it that Whitney needs more thread for sewing? Or maybe Sarah’s cat finally ran away? Because if it did, good riddance. The thing was an evil prick, anyway.” John shakes his head with a slight smirk.

“No, to all of the above,” he replies. “Regrettably, Morris is still hiding around her somewhere, the asshole scratched me about an hour ago and ran before I could skin him. But it does have to do with Sarah.” I motion at him to continue. “She punched Kelly in the mouth when she was ranting out here again about the
‘crazy whore’
who won’t stop screaming down the hall.”

“Good,” I say. “Then the bitch deserved it.”

Internally, I’m wishing that I could hit a woman just this once, and not feel bad about it after the deed is done. Because I would take the free pass to punch two distinct women in ovaries, doing the world a great favor by preventing them from reproducing their hell spawn. But since I was raised to never strike a female, I can’t disrespect my deceased mother like that.

“True,” he agrees. “But Sarah broke a finger, and Akio needs to get in the room so that he can use better supplies to wrap it.”

“Fuck, stay here and I’ll grab what he needs,” I say and John nods. Jogging back to the office, I knock and wait for Olivia to open it.

“Jared?”

“It’s me,” I tell her as confirmation. “Can you pass out a finger splint and some medical tape?” She whips the door open and glances at my undamaged hands.

“What did you break?” Olivia asks as she starts checking my fingers with her hands. As much as I like that she’s willingly touching me, I shake it off along with my head.

“Not me, Sarah.” Olivia goes to move around me, so I hold my arm out to stop her. “I’ll send her to you, questions remember?” She nods her head and backs away from the door a good five feet. “Can you help her wrap them, or do you want me to do it?”

“I can do it,” she replies. “Just send her down.”

“Thanks.”

“No thanks necessary,” she says and points at the door. “Now, go get Sarah so that I can ask which bastard broke her finger and I’ll kill him.” I just grin as I walk away.

Kelly better pray that Sarah doesn’t drop her name, or she’ll be added to the body count that will be used for bait.

<~~~<~~~
~~~>~~~>

As soon as I enter the hallway, I can tell that some of the bodies have been removed. Not only has the smell been decreased, but the mound is smaller than it was just a few hours ago. Cory’s helping Tommy, and Danny’s with John, so that leaves Carlos and Oscar with each other, naturally. I spot Lenny, the sly old bastard, keeping watch at the post while the others are doing work. Walking over to him, I cross my arms and tap my foot.

“What?” Leonard asks innocently.

“You know exactly what,” I reply. “You were told to rest, not keep watch.”

“I’m fine, you miserable bastard,” he huffs. “Besides, how can you get those rotting corpses out, and keep watch at the same time?”

“We’ll manage,” I say and hike a thumb over my shoulder. “Why don’t you go see if Akio needs any help in there? Lots of injuries are piling up, and he may need a hand.”

“Hell no!” Leonard shouts and then looks around before lowering his voice. “Don’t tell that demanding prick I’m out here. He’s been on a power trip ever since he found something that his background is actually good for.”

“So, you’re telling me that you deliberately went against doctor’s orders, and are out here, keeping watch?” I inquire and Leonard nods.

“Hey, wait a damn minute,” he revises. “Akio didn’t say nothin’ about me taking a rest by the window, and getting a bit of fresh air. Actually, he said fresh air is just the ticket I needed for a full recovery.”

“And you just happen to be holding a rifle while doing it?”

“That’s right,” Leonard agrees. “This here rifle just happened to fall into my lap when I stopped here to rest my aching feet. My rheumatoid flared up in this very spot, and as I was working the kinks out, this trusty rifle found its way into my hand.”

“You cheeky bastard,” I say and he grins unrepentantly. “Alright, but don’t overdo it. We’re leaving tomorrow, and we can’t stop unless Olivia says it’s safe.” Leonard smiles at her name.

“That girl’s one of a kind,” he says with a dreamy sigh. “Beautiful, smart, tongue of a viper; she reminds me a lot of my Hilda.” He gets this far off expression for a few seconds, before staring at me intently. “Don’t be a moron and screw this one up.”

“Hey, not only did I not really want the last one, I found her in my bed without an invitation,” I counter. “But I didn’t ask for this one either. She’s just a friend who’s helping us out, before we go our separate ways.”

“Then you don’t deserve her,” Leonard says with a shake of his head. “Young people these days. Don’t know gold when they see it, and when they do finally open their eyes, it’s gone. Good thing I’m old, since I can see her for the treasure that she is.” Looking at Tommy, he continues. “And I could always teach my grandson how to win her over and gain her for a granddaughter.”

Red haze filling my vision, I clench my fists and jaw to keep from exploding. Tommy will not be going within twenty feet of Olivia without my say so. That goes for any other unattached male in the group, which is really everyone except Mike, but he adores his wife so I don’t have to worry about him. It’s not jealousy, nope not me, I don’t get jealous; I just don’t want people fucking with the traumatized girl.

I ignore Leonard’s amused chuckle and take out my frustration on the dead raiders. Grabbing two arms from different raiders, I drag them to the stairs and kick the bodies down after I make sure no one’s climbing up. No need to play bowling, and push back our move even more due to yet another injury.

Turning back, I keep dragging more smelly corpses from the pile, and shoving them down the stairwell. When the room is cleared, I head down and push the ones that the others haven’t moved out of the way yet. In the courtyard, the bodies are once again piled high.

Already there are a few wheezers reaching through the gate. I’m wondering if we’re going to cut the chain and run, or just leave it locked for them to break through on their own. I’ll make sure to ask Olivia before we leave in the morning.

<~~~<~~~
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