decided that it was pe rhaps in her best interest to get closer and see if she could put her fears to rest.
Then there was the unfortunate miscarriage. Mackenzie lost her baby and she saw yet another side of Juan. She was ready to just put the past behind her…and then they had made that ill-fated run to a shopping center. She had seen Juan turn his back on one of their own in a flash. She’d seen him let Al be torn apart. The fact that he’d been bitten was something that she chose to ignore. The fact was, that he’d had no apparent problem ending that man’s life and then justifying it as a mercy killing.
And then there were the kids. Juan had been at odds with them seemingly since the beginning. And now several had found their lives cut short…and Juan was the common theme through it all.
Try as she might, April could not divorce herself of the animosity she felt for the man. And when she started hearing all the talk about establishing Juan as the de facto leader by consensus, she had to find out for herself once and for all.
The revelation of the deaths of Donna and Frank had been a tough one, but she could also see the bigger picture. The fly in the ointment had been the appearance of Kip and Vin. They had started to figure out that something was not right about how their friends had died. She had taken the first step crushing Kip’s skull. In that single act, something had changed in her. There was so much power in that single act.
Juan had finished off Vin and then turned on her in a fury. She told him all about what she remembered about that night. At first, the big man had seemed confused. As she continued, she saw a change in the man. The face she was now seeing was more like that hard-edged pimp and less the soft, kind-hearted leader that all the rest of the people saw.
He had asked what she wanted and she told him it was si mple. When the community named his as their leader, he would refuse. He could stay, but he would not be the mayor or governor or president…or whatever the people were clamoring for. She never saw his fist coming.
She’d come to in the warehouse tied to a wooden pillar. Juan was sitting there watching her. She had tried to talk her way out of the situation. Juan explained that he would never be able to trust her. He said that he simply was not sure what he was going to do. This had surprised her.
“You haven’t just killed me…why?” April asked.
“I don’t know what you think you know about me…but you have your wires crossed,” Juan said as he looked into her eyes. “I really don’t know what to do about you.”
“I don’t know what came over me,” April sniffed. “I just got so hung up—”
“On the past,” Juan cut her off. “Do you really think that people can’t come around? You met a kid five years ago who was living on the streets and doing the only thing he knew to survive.”
“You were making a living off of other girls selling their bodies!” April snarled. “People like you are animals. You are abusers who make excuses for your actions!”
Juan sat quietly and regarded the angry woman. He did not and could not dispute what she was saying. And the fact that he had flipped over on Frank and Donna so quick only seemed to back up her appraisal of his character. Was he simply fooling himself?
He got up and walked over to April, staring down at her. She glared back defiantly. He had to admit, she was a pretty tough little woman. Here she was, tied up and helpless with a man she considered to be a horrible criminal. Yet she was def iant and unafraid.
As much as it hurt him…as tough as it was to do, he knew what his choice would be. He had known the day he tied her up and left her. He had known the whole way over.
Juan drew the blade at his hip with a sigh.
***
The questions came in a jumble and Cynthia Frey held her hands up to silence them. She glanced down at the gathering pack of zombies that had ignored her gesture and
Then there was the unfortunate miscarriage. Mackenzie lost her baby and she saw yet another side of Juan. She was ready to just put the past behind her…and then they had made that ill-fated run to a shopping center. She had seen Juan turn his back on one of their own in a flash. She’d seen him let Al be torn apart. The fact that he’d been bitten was something that she chose to ignore. The fact was, that he’d had no apparent problem ending that man’s life and then justifying it as a mercy killing.
And then there were the kids. Juan had been at odds with them seemingly since the beginning. And now several had found their lives cut short…and Juan was the common theme through it all.
Try as she might, April could not divorce herself of the animosity she felt for the man. And when she started hearing all the talk about establishing Juan as the de facto leader by consensus, she had to find out for herself once and for all.
The revelation of the deaths of Donna and Frank had been a tough one, but she could also see the bigger picture. The fly in the ointment had been the appearance of Kip and Vin. They had started to figure out that something was not right about how their friends had died. She had taken the first step crushing Kip’s skull. In that single act, something had changed in her. There was so much power in that single act.
Juan had finished off Vin and then turned on her in a fury. She told him all about what she remembered about that night. At first, the big man had seemed confused. As she continued, she saw a change in the man. The face she was now seeing was more like that hard-edged pimp and less the soft, kind-hearted leader that all the rest of the people saw.
He had asked what she wanted and she told him it was si mple. When the community named his as their leader, he would refuse. He could stay, but he would not be the mayor or governor or president…or whatever the people were clamoring for. She never saw his fist coming.
She’d come to in the warehouse tied to a wooden pillar. Juan was sitting there watching her. She had tried to talk her way out of the situation. Juan explained that he would never be able to trust her. He said that he simply was not sure what he was going to do. This had surprised her.
“You haven’t just killed me…why?” April asked.
“I don’t know what you think you know about me…but you have your wires crossed,” Juan said as he looked into her eyes. “I really don’t know what to do about you.”
“I don’t know what came over me,” April sniffed. “I just got so hung up—”
“On the past,” Juan cut her off. “Do you really think that people can’t come around? You met a kid five years ago who was living on the streets and doing the only thing he knew to survive.”
“You were making a living off of other girls selling their bodies!” April snarled. “People like you are animals. You are abusers who make excuses for your actions!”
Juan sat quietly and regarded the angry woman. He did not and could not dispute what she was saying. And the fact that he had flipped over on Frank and Donna so quick only seemed to back up her appraisal of his character. Was he simply fooling himself?
He got up and walked over to April, staring down at her. She glared back defiantly. He had to admit, she was a pretty tough little woman. Here she was, tied up and helpless with a man she considered to be a horrible criminal. Yet she was def iant and unafraid.
As much as it hurt him…as tough as it was to do, he knew what his choice would be. He had known the day he tied her up and left her. He had known the whole way over.
Juan drew the blade at his hip with a sigh.
***
The questions came in a jumble and Cynthia Frey held her hands up to silence them. She glanced down at the gathering pack of zombies that had ignored her gesture and
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