Alaskan Undead Apocalypse (Book 3): Mitigation Book 3) by Sean Schubert

Meghan said. “I understand this young man is Alec, but how about everyone else?”
    Neil stepped aside and, motioning to the people still standing behind him, said, “This is DB, Della, and...well, I don’t know the kids’ names.”
    DB nodded to the others while Della just stared at all of them in turn. The awkward silence that followed raised everyone’s discomfort. Della wasn’t seeing people or a warm fire, she was only seeing strangers and a lot of guns.
    When she looked at Jerry, he said to her, “Why don’t we go over to the fire? We can talk and you guys can warm up a little.”
    Everyone but Della heeded his suggestion. But while everyone else wandered toward the glowing coals of the fire, she stood and watched and waited.
    Jerry suggested, “Della, if you’d like—”
    “I heard you the first time, Steve.”
    Jerry started to correct her when Neil caught him by the sleeve and shook his head. Taking the hint, Jerry turned himself around and opened his palms to the warmth, hoping that perhaps he could make her comfortable enough to join them. But still she waited.

17.
     
    There were many questions, and there were stories to tell and experiences to relive, but knowing what was behind and in front of them on the road was the most pressing concern for all of them.
    Neil said, “So, we’re headed for Whittier. What was the road like between here and there?”
    DB stirred the small fire with the long, brittle stick in his hand, finally burying enough of the tip in the red coals to have it stand of its own accord. He spoke slowly, “Whittier, huh?”
    “Yeah. We heard that maybe the tunnel was closed in time, that maybe the infection didn’t make it there. Lots of people headed that way I guess.”
    “Ain’t no real point in going to Whittier. Bunch...maybe hundreds of those things between you and that tunnel.”
    “Is the tunnel closed then?”
    “What difference does it make? If it is, then you’re shut out. And if it ain’t, well, it won’t be no different than everywhere else. Might as well be the moon where you’re headed. Whittier’s not worth the effort.”
    Neil felt his stomach, already growling in protest, start to do rebellious back flips. He thought to himself, now what ? DB was obviously coming up from Kenai, and they wouldn’t have left if circumstance hadn’t dictated it. And behind Neil was Girdwood and then Anchorage beyond and both were crawling with the undead. What options did they have?
    He found going over the same questions with the same doubts and the same necessities to be nothing but tiresome. Much of the positive energy created by finding DB was sapped by the dark thoughts tormenting his mind. Neil kept his thoughts to himself for the time being however. Meghan was, of course, intuitive enough to see the trouble in Neil’s eyes, so she took hold of his cold hand in her warm one.
    Jerry asked DB, “Where were you guys headed?”
    DB didn’t look away from the fire. He, like many, enjoyed watching a fire tend to its own business. He always found it ironic that it was fire’s basic nature to eat itself to death. Fire consumed everything within its reach until there was nothing left to burn, killing itself with each greedy mouthful. He answered Jerry, “We was just headed. Nowhere in particular. Just trying to stay off of everyone’s radar. Runnin’ into you was a bit of a happy accident.”
    Jerry nodded. “Yeah. I know what you mean. The longer I go without seein’ one of those things, the better I feel.”
    DB spit into the fire and wiped his chin absently. “Those things ain’t the only bad guys out there.”
    Neil was suddenly interested again. “What do you mean by that?”
    “Let’s just say not everyone out on the road is as friendly as you all.”
    Meghan looked disgusted, “You mean, even with all that’s happened...?”
    Claire interjected reproachfully, “See, I told you. Those bastards I ran from back in Anchorage weren’t my imagination.