75.
Towns almost certainly meant zombies; because that’s what had happened. She wasn’t sure if it would be better for the city-fueled zombie populations to have spread out in the weeks since it all had started, or to have stayed concentrated where they’d . . . turned, or whatever. If they spread, they carried the danger with them. If they stayed, less danger elsewhere; but where a handful of zombies was one thing, a whole bunch together could be a serious threat.
Even if you saw them coming and were armed.
And towns might also mean people. She knew she was going to have to get over that sooner or later. Everyone wasn’t out to do evil. But the close encounter with the Eagle deserters from Knoxville, and the shortchanged standoff last night, had reignited her fearful shyness with a vengeance. The problem was she couldn’t afford to take chances. And, for better or worse, people were a risk.
And bad people could be a lot more dangerous than even a whole crowd of zombies.
“So you looked across Florida?” Austin asked idly, pulling her out of her thoughts.
“You took a while this morning.” Jessica said.
“I was taking advantage of the fact that we were leaving.”
“Ugh, did you wreck another bathroom?” Candice asked from the backseat.
Jessica craned her head to angle her view down as she looked in the rearview mirror, just in time to see her daughter wrinkling her nose up in dismay. Austin ate a lot – more than both mother and daughter combined – because he was a big and athletic man. When he ‘used the facilities’, he tended to use the hell out of them. A rule had sort of developed that sectioned off one bathroom just for his use, and he tended to abuse it when they were leaving a residence. Or, in today’s case, a shop bathroom.
Jessica laughed as Austin chuckled. “Afraid so girlie-girl.” he said.
“That’s really nasty.”
“Facts of life.” he replied in an unconcerned tone.
“When mom and I use the bathroom, it doesn’t smell so bad when we’re done.”
Jessica laughed again. “She’s got a point.”
“I weigh more than the two of you put together.” Austin said, turning a little so he could shoot a wry look at the girl behind them. “Actually, I bet if we added you two up and doubled it, I’m most of that number as well.”
“So?” Candice asked.
“So,” he said patiently, “that means I eat more.”
“Don’t I know it.” Jessica sighed mournfully.
“Hey, I can’t help it.” he told Jessica. “Plus, I was shot you know.”
“We know.” Candice said, echoing Jessica.
“I promise I’ll do most of the scrounging when we get settled in after the trip.”
“Good. Feeding you is a lot of work.” Jessica said merrily.
Austin rolled his eyes at her. “You know you love it. You can’t wait for me to be back on my feet and healthy. You’ve got plans for me.”
“I do?” she asked innocently.
“I’ll bet you do.”
“What makes you think that?”
He gave her a wink. “You’ve always got plans.”
Jessica blushed lightly, then cleared her throat quickly. “Help with supplies and chores would be good. Having you healthy would be good.”
“It’s all good.” Candice chirruped.
“Got it in one Candy Bear.” Jessica nodded.
“Speaking of plans, what’s your plan for our destination?” Austin inquired.
Jessica blinked. “We’re not even in Florida yet.”
“Come on, spill it.” he said encouragingly. “You said you were looking at the GPS map, so I bet you came up with at least a couple of ideas.”
“Mind reading again?”
“You’re not as mysterious as you think.” Austin teased her.
Jessica felt her cheeks heating a little further, and spoke quickly; trying to distract herself. “Well, even though it might be tricky, I want to get south of Tampa and Orlando. Once we do, there are a lot of big lakes right through the center of the state; including the big one,
Towns almost certainly meant zombies; because that’s what had happened. She wasn’t sure if it would be better for the city-fueled zombie populations to have spread out in the weeks since it all had started, or to have stayed concentrated where they’d . . . turned, or whatever. If they spread, they carried the danger with them. If they stayed, less danger elsewhere; but where a handful of zombies was one thing, a whole bunch together could be a serious threat.
Even if you saw them coming and were armed.
And towns might also mean people. She knew she was going to have to get over that sooner or later. Everyone wasn’t out to do evil. But the close encounter with the Eagle deserters from Knoxville, and the shortchanged standoff last night, had reignited her fearful shyness with a vengeance. The problem was she couldn’t afford to take chances. And, for better or worse, people were a risk.
And bad people could be a lot more dangerous than even a whole crowd of zombies.
“So you looked across Florida?” Austin asked idly, pulling her out of her thoughts.
“You took a while this morning.” Jessica said.
“I was taking advantage of the fact that we were leaving.”
“Ugh, did you wreck another bathroom?” Candice asked from the backseat.
Jessica craned her head to angle her view down as she looked in the rearview mirror, just in time to see her daughter wrinkling her nose up in dismay. Austin ate a lot – more than both mother and daughter combined – because he was a big and athletic man. When he ‘used the facilities’, he tended to use the hell out of them. A rule had sort of developed that sectioned off one bathroom just for his use, and he tended to abuse it when they were leaving a residence. Or, in today’s case, a shop bathroom.
Jessica laughed as Austin chuckled. “Afraid so girlie-girl.” he said.
“That’s really nasty.”
“Facts of life.” he replied in an unconcerned tone.
“When mom and I use the bathroom, it doesn’t smell so bad when we’re done.”
Jessica laughed again. “She’s got a point.”
“I weigh more than the two of you put together.” Austin said, turning a little so he could shoot a wry look at the girl behind them. “Actually, I bet if we added you two up and doubled it, I’m most of that number as well.”
“So?” Candice asked.
“So,” he said patiently, “that means I eat more.”
“Don’t I know it.” Jessica sighed mournfully.
“Hey, I can’t help it.” he told Jessica. “Plus, I was shot you know.”
“We know.” Candice said, echoing Jessica.
“I promise I’ll do most of the scrounging when we get settled in after the trip.”
“Good. Feeding you is a lot of work.” Jessica said merrily.
Austin rolled his eyes at her. “You know you love it. You can’t wait for me to be back on my feet and healthy. You’ve got plans for me.”
“I do?” she asked innocently.
“I’ll bet you do.”
“What makes you think that?”
He gave her a wink. “You’ve always got plans.”
Jessica blushed lightly, then cleared her throat quickly. “Help with supplies and chores would be good. Having you healthy would be good.”
“It’s all good.” Candice chirruped.
“Got it in one Candy Bear.” Jessica nodded.
“Speaking of plans, what’s your plan for our destination?” Austin inquired.
Jessica blinked. “We’re not even in Florida yet.”
“Come on, spill it.” he said encouragingly. “You said you were looking at the GPS map, so I bet you came up with at least a couple of ideas.”
“Mind reading again?”
“You’re not as mysterious as you think.” Austin teased her.
Jessica felt her cheeks heating a little further, and spoke quickly; trying to distract herself. “Well, even though it might be tricky, I want to get south of Tampa and Orlando. Once we do, there are a lot of big lakes right through the center of the state; including the big one,
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