shrugged. “Look, I get people talking, it’s what I do. Addison filled in a few details-Doc had a complete breakdown, thinks he’s a CDC virologist. As you will have already guessed, Captain Jack isn’t British or even military.”
“Yeah, I got that. Are any of them dangerous?”
“I don’t believe so, at least on the short term. Current events are supporting their particular delusions.”
“We’re fighting zombies-being insane can only be an asset,” Bear observed.
“No joke. OK, leave those three out of the loop. I’m going to gas up and take care of the water and sewage.” Marv passed out bills. “Dyson, you go back inside and buy what you think we’ll need, especially gas cans. Bear, you hit that Chicken Express across the street and load up, a hot meal will go over real well. JD, hit that Dollar Box and get what you think we can use. Get me a ball cap, plain black if they have it. Get extras-it’s too hot to be bare-headed.”
Struck by a thought, the Ranger stepped back into the store. “Anyplace here we can buy guns or ammunition?”
Standing next to the pumps, the familiar ticking noise as diesel flowed into the tank both comforting and surreal, Marv tried to think through the mission issues. There were terrorists hunting them, certainly on their back trail, and they knew where the Gnomes had been until early this morning. Assuming that his most recent communication was secure, they would only have his destination to work with.
It was time to get further off the grid, he decided.
The truck stop was far below its usual inventory, but Dyson had gotten four five-gallon gas cans, six loaves of bread, a selection of auto fuses, two gallons of coolant, a dozen cases of soda, and all the jerky and Slim Jims they had left.
After moving the gear to the RV, he tried his luck with the pay phone, and was astounded when his girlfriend’s mother accepted the charge and opened a clear, if a bit scratchy line. “Mrs. Hughes, am I glad to hear your voice! Is Anna all right?”
“Yes, Dyson, she’s fine. She tried calling you many times-the news isn’t much, but Atlanta seems to be having trouble. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m not in Atlanta. Can I speak to Anna, please?”
“I’m sorry, she’s not here, she is helping her father close up the shed out at my father’s old place. She’ll be back soon, maybe a half-hour.”
“Is everything OK there where you are? Any trouble?”
“No, everything’s fine. There are odd stories from down south, but that is all.”
“Listen the flu…it makes people crazy, Murderous crazy-the only way you can stop them is to shoot them in the head. Get what food and things you can, and stay out of town. I’m heading to Texas, there’s this thing I have to do. Please tell Anna I love her and I’ll call again if I can get to another phone that works. But stay away from people, this is some really bad mojo going on.”
Mrs. Hodges sound doubtful, but she dutifully agreed. Hanging up the phone, Dyson didn’t think he had convinced her, but at least he had planted the idea in her head. For a moment he thought about heading up to Maine, but dismissed it-the Eastern Seaboard was going to be a war zone, and she was safe out in the country with her family. Once they got the payload through they would be owed favors, and he figured a military flight to Maine wouldn’t be asking too much. Odds were good he could get to her faster by getting to Texas.
Spotting JD dragging two overflowing carts out of the Dollar Box, he trotted across the street to lend a hand, passing Bear heading the other way, burdened with bags of bright yellow boxes.
“OK, we’re topped off,” Marv shut the door behind him. The interior of the RV was redolent with the odor of fried chicken and gravy, and the big Ranger drew in an appreciative breath before continuing. “JD, what did you get?”
“About one day’s worth of microwave dinners-the run on the
“Yeah, I got that. Are any of them dangerous?”
“I don’t believe so, at least on the short term. Current events are supporting their particular delusions.”
“We’re fighting zombies-being insane can only be an asset,” Bear observed.
“No joke. OK, leave those three out of the loop. I’m going to gas up and take care of the water and sewage.” Marv passed out bills. “Dyson, you go back inside and buy what you think we’ll need, especially gas cans. Bear, you hit that Chicken Express across the street and load up, a hot meal will go over real well. JD, hit that Dollar Box and get what you think we can use. Get me a ball cap, plain black if they have it. Get extras-it’s too hot to be bare-headed.”
Struck by a thought, the Ranger stepped back into the store. “Anyplace here we can buy guns or ammunition?”
Standing next to the pumps, the familiar ticking noise as diesel flowed into the tank both comforting and surreal, Marv tried to think through the mission issues. There were terrorists hunting them, certainly on their back trail, and they knew where the Gnomes had been until early this morning. Assuming that his most recent communication was secure, they would only have his destination to work with.
It was time to get further off the grid, he decided.
The truck stop was far below its usual inventory, but Dyson had gotten four five-gallon gas cans, six loaves of bread, a selection of auto fuses, two gallons of coolant, a dozen cases of soda, and all the jerky and Slim Jims they had left.
After moving the gear to the RV, he tried his luck with the pay phone, and was astounded when his girlfriend’s mother accepted the charge and opened a clear, if a bit scratchy line. “Mrs. Hughes, am I glad to hear your voice! Is Anna all right?”
“Yes, Dyson, she’s fine. She tried calling you many times-the news isn’t much, but Atlanta seems to be having trouble. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m not in Atlanta. Can I speak to Anna, please?”
“I’m sorry, she’s not here, she is helping her father close up the shed out at my father’s old place. She’ll be back soon, maybe a half-hour.”
“Is everything OK there where you are? Any trouble?”
“No, everything’s fine. There are odd stories from down south, but that is all.”
“Listen the flu…it makes people crazy, Murderous crazy-the only way you can stop them is to shoot them in the head. Get what food and things you can, and stay out of town. I’m heading to Texas, there’s this thing I have to do. Please tell Anna I love her and I’ll call again if I can get to another phone that works. But stay away from people, this is some really bad mojo going on.”
Mrs. Hodges sound doubtful, but she dutifully agreed. Hanging up the phone, Dyson didn’t think he had convinced her, but at least he had planted the idea in her head. For a moment he thought about heading up to Maine, but dismissed it-the Eastern Seaboard was going to be a war zone, and she was safe out in the country with her family. Once they got the payload through they would be owed favors, and he figured a military flight to Maine wouldn’t be asking too much. Odds were good he could get to her faster by getting to Texas.
Spotting JD dragging two overflowing carts out of the Dollar Box, he trotted across the street to lend a hand, passing Bear heading the other way, burdened with bags of bright yellow boxes.
“OK, we’re topped off,” Marv shut the door behind him. The interior of the RV was redolent with the odor of fried chicken and gravy, and the big Ranger drew in an appreciative breath before continuing. “JD, what did you get?”
“About one day’s worth of microwave dinners-the run on the
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