followed fast on his heels but paused in the doorway to smile at her.
Too soon, the men disappeared from view. She heard their vehicle roar to life and tear down the street. The siren wailed for a long time until finally it wound down to nothing. The silence she wanted didn’t come. It was replaced by the roof-shaking thwap of helicopter blades as the massive aircrafts flew over the house.
Alone in the house, Emma curled onto her side and hugged the closest pillow. When that didn’t calm her raw nerves, she grabbed another pillow and tucked it against her back. Eyes closed, she could almost believe she was safe between Max and Jack.
But sleep didn’t come.
Unable to stay in bed a moment longer, she found Jack’s hastily tossed aside undershirt in the bathroom and Max’s uniform shirt close to it. She slipped into both and reveled in the scent of her men. Downstairs, she found some crackers, cheese and dried apricots in the cabinets and hopped up onto the counter to eat.
Her gaze landed on the box of radio parts Max and Jack had scavenged for her. There were still hours until sunrise. She had no idea when the two men would return. It might be days for all she knew.
Work is good. Work makes me happy.
She finished her simple meal, cleaned up her crumbs and hefted up the shockingly heavy box. She carried her radio parts into the living area of the house— my new home —and placed it on a low, rectangular coffee table. Seated on the floor, she began to sort out the contents. The busy work calmed her mind and gave her a purpose.
What were the other wives doing right now? Were they so used to this that they were able to go back to sleep? Were they awake tackling mundane tasks and trying to ignore the gut-gnawing anxiety that threatened to eat them right up?
How many cyborgs were rushing out into the night? How many wives and children were left behind to worry and wait? How many soldiers wouldn’t come back?
“Stop.” Emma spoke the word firmly. “Stop it. This is your new life. You have to learn to deal with the bad stuff that comes with all the good.”
Years of living alone had allowed her to build emotional walls that protected her from caring too much. She loved her friends but they weren’t a part of her daily life. She didn’t eat meals with them or sleep with them or dream of a happy, bright future with them. For the first time in a long, long time, Emma truly feared losing someone. She feared the empty hole of grief and sadness that would be left behind if something happened to Max or Jack.
“Nothing is going to happen. They’re skilled soldiers.” She said the words aloud as if to reassure herself. “They’re strong and brave. They’re coming home to me.”
Until they came home, Emma vowed to stay busy. That tight knot forming in her lower belly warned that she might be more entangled in this new shift in the war than anyone else suspected. Those zombies who had overrun her home hadn’t come there simply because they wanted a piece of two cyborg soldiers. No, it was more than that. It had to be.
During her time in quarantine, Emma had gone over and over the events of that night. She had tried to make sense of it. Alone with all that time to think, she had started to piece together memories of reports that had come across the Chain. Reports of coordinated attacks and lost livestock and downed fences had been sporadic over the last few months, but when she arranged them on a mental map, the pattern was clear.
Those were trial runs for the assault on her home. Whoever controlled that horde of zombies had put a bullseye on her house. But why?
They wanted to kill you. They wanted you dead.
The thought struck her cold. She had always made a point of keeping to herself and keeping out of the politics in the Outlands. She tried to be diplomatic and friendly and had never had a cross word with anyone.
What made me a target? What did they want?
The land.
It had to be the land.
But who would
Too soon, the men disappeared from view. She heard their vehicle roar to life and tear down the street. The siren wailed for a long time until finally it wound down to nothing. The silence she wanted didn’t come. It was replaced by the roof-shaking thwap of helicopter blades as the massive aircrafts flew over the house.
Alone in the house, Emma curled onto her side and hugged the closest pillow. When that didn’t calm her raw nerves, she grabbed another pillow and tucked it against her back. Eyes closed, she could almost believe she was safe between Max and Jack.
But sleep didn’t come.
Unable to stay in bed a moment longer, she found Jack’s hastily tossed aside undershirt in the bathroom and Max’s uniform shirt close to it. She slipped into both and reveled in the scent of her men. Downstairs, she found some crackers, cheese and dried apricots in the cabinets and hopped up onto the counter to eat.
Her gaze landed on the box of radio parts Max and Jack had scavenged for her. There were still hours until sunrise. She had no idea when the two men would return. It might be days for all she knew.
Work is good. Work makes me happy.
She finished her simple meal, cleaned up her crumbs and hefted up the shockingly heavy box. She carried her radio parts into the living area of the house— my new home —and placed it on a low, rectangular coffee table. Seated on the floor, she began to sort out the contents. The busy work calmed her mind and gave her a purpose.
What were the other wives doing right now? Were they so used to this that they were able to go back to sleep? Were they awake tackling mundane tasks and trying to ignore the gut-gnawing anxiety that threatened to eat them right up?
How many cyborgs were rushing out into the night? How many wives and children were left behind to worry and wait? How many soldiers wouldn’t come back?
“Stop.” Emma spoke the word firmly. “Stop it. This is your new life. You have to learn to deal with the bad stuff that comes with all the good.”
Years of living alone had allowed her to build emotional walls that protected her from caring too much. She loved her friends but they weren’t a part of her daily life. She didn’t eat meals with them or sleep with them or dream of a happy, bright future with them. For the first time in a long, long time, Emma truly feared losing someone. She feared the empty hole of grief and sadness that would be left behind if something happened to Max or Jack.
“Nothing is going to happen. They’re skilled soldiers.” She said the words aloud as if to reassure herself. “They’re strong and brave. They’re coming home to me.”
Until they came home, Emma vowed to stay busy. That tight knot forming in her lower belly warned that she might be more entangled in this new shift in the war than anyone else suspected. Those zombies who had overrun her home hadn’t come there simply because they wanted a piece of two cyborg soldiers. No, it was more than that. It had to be.
During her time in quarantine, Emma had gone over and over the events of that night. She had tried to make sense of it. Alone with all that time to think, she had started to piece together memories of reports that had come across the Chain. Reports of coordinated attacks and lost livestock and downed fences had been sporadic over the last few months, but when she arranged them on a mental map, the pattern was clear.
Those were trial runs for the assault on her home. Whoever controlled that horde of zombies had put a bullseye on her house. But why?
They wanted to kill you. They wanted you dead.
The thought struck her cold. She had always made a point of keeping to herself and keeping out of the politics in the Outlands. She tried to be diplomatic and friendly and had never had a cross word with anyone.
What made me a target? What did they want?
The land.
It had to be the land.
But who would
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