The Last Town (Book 1): Rise of the Dead (9 page)

Norton said nothing for a moment, then continued walking toward the rear of the hangar with the stepladder. “Burger Hop’s food isn’t worth a flight back here. And I hate to break it to you, but a Phenom’s operating costs aren’t twelve grand an hour.”

“My mistake. Guess you didn’t spring for the afterburner option. So you’re staying for a while, are you?”

Norton leaned the stepladder against the back wall and headed back toward his plane. His bags were right next to where Corbett stood.

“Looks like,” he said.

A white Ford Expedition pulled up in front of the hangar. Two men got out of the vehicle and looked toward Corbett expectantly. They were younger than Norton, and their demeanor indicated to him that they were Corbett’s personal security detail. He figured they would be ex-military, most likely Marine Corps. Corbett was particular about who he entrusted with his life. Both men watched Norton openly behind their dark sunglasses, and Norton had no doubt they were armed.

“Tell your guys I’m strapped,” he said to Corbett. “Just in case they get antsy if I outline.”

“Well, good for you. What’re you carrying?”

“Smith and Wesson Shield.”

“Nine millimeter or forty caliber?”

“Nine. Forty is just too snappy for me.”

Corbett nodded. “I agree with you on that. But as nice as the Shield is, you should just man up and go with a 1911.” The older man lifted up the front of his polo shirt, and strapped to his waist was an M1911 .45 caliber pistol. Norton nodded when he saw it.

“Nice. I’ve got one, too. Sig-Sauer P220R3.”

Corbett frowned. “That’s not a 1911, son.”

“No. But it
is
a forty-five.”

Corbett grunted. “Well, if you think a German piece of shit is going to save your bacon, that’s on you. You got plans for the next couple of hours?”

Norton looked down at his bags, then back at the security guys waiting patiently in the sun. Beyond them, the Gulfstream’s two pilots and attendant were doing a walk around the big jet while Enrico backed the tow motor toward its nose gear. He saw several other people—again, ex-military by their bearing—removing bag after bag from the aircraft’s luggage bay.

“Other than a shower and unpacking, not really. Jesus, Corbett, how many bags did you bring with you, man?”

Corbett turned and glanced back at the jet, then faced Norton again. “I usually travel a little lighter than that, but these are interesting times, my friend.”

Norton nodded. “They are, indeed. You planning on sheltering here in Single Tree?”

“Wouldn’t last long in Dallas. Not once the shit hits the fan. Seems like you might feel the same way, seeing as you’re out here from your fancy sex palace in Malibu. Am I right?”

Norton nodded again. “Yeah, well, like you said. Interesting times. There’s some bad stuff going down in LA right now, and it seemed like maybe I’d be better off here.”

Corbett looked at Norton for a long moment. “Norton, I want to ask you a question.”

“What?”

“You’re not a fag, are you?”

Norton snorted. “What?”

“You heard me. It doesn’t matter to me if you are, but I just want to know now. You’re a pretty good-looking guy with a shitload of money, and you’ve never been married. So you’re either unlucky in love, or you’re gay. Seeing as how you’re in show business, it’s even money you’re one or the other.”

“I’m not gay, Corbett. And I’m not unlucky in love, either. I just haven’t found the right girl to commit to. Not that it’s any of your fucking business, right?”

“At my age, fucking is hardly my business,” Corbett said. “But I’m just trying to get the lay of the land with you. Looks like we might be working together again, and I know you’re attentive and organized and aren’t afraid of getting your lily whites dirty. I can use you.”

“Use me for what, Corbett?”

Corbett turned again and pointed past the airport manager’s office building and the tiny FBO shack. Beyond the structures were two parking lots, and Norton saw both were full of semi-trucks and their cargo trailers. Norton had noticed them while flying the Phenom in the right pattern before coming in to land.

“I’ve brought some gifts to the people of Single Tree,” he said. “Some pretty useful stuff, but when people find out that I’m the official gift-giver, a lot of people here won’t want what I’ve got. And that could be a major problem. The world is tearing itself apart out there, Norton, and we don’t have a whole lot of time to get ready. So I might need you and your pretty face and your smooth style to help me bring some people around.”

“Uh, like who, exactly?”

“Like Max Booker, for one. Then Greg
Brockwell
, and that
pissant
whiner Hector Aguilar.”

Norton shook his head. “Don’t follow you here, Corbett. What is it you want me to do?”

Corbett turned back to him. With one veined hand, he pulled his sunglasses off his leathered, weather-beaten face and looked at him with his brilliant eyes.

“I need you to help me persuade them that we need to prepare for what’s coming. Single Tree is all alone out here, and the only people who can save it are us.”

Norton didn’t say anything for a long moment. He looked down at his bags almost longingly. All he wanted to do was get back to his house here in town and step into a hot shower, and now, Barry Corbett was going to fuck up even that simple plan.

“Save Single Tree from
what
, Corbett?” he finally asked with a heavy sigh.

“I don’t know how much you follow the news, but Europe is about to go dark, and the US isn’t that far behind. It’s already in full swing in New York. In Washington. And as you probably suspect, in Los Angeles. I don’t know how long we have to prepare, but it won’t be very long, and before the dead and the panicked people they’re chasing get here, we have to turn Single Tree from a sleepy little desert town at the foot of the mountains into a fortress.” He smiled and slipped his sunglasses back on. “I don’t know about you, Hollywood, but I don’t want to be eaten alive. So why don’t you take a ride with me into town, and let’s get this show on the road?”

“The dead? What the
hell
are you talking about?” Norton snapped, even though he already knew.

Corbett smiled again. “It’s the zombie apocalypse, Norton.” He bent down and picked up one of Norton’s bags. “Here, I’ll give you hand with this. Let’s go.”

TO BE CONTINUED