His wife's smile was rapturous. Travis felt pleased and awkward at the same time to be in the presence of her father and what remained of her former life. He suddenly felt nervous about how he compared to Lydia and wondered what Bruce thought of him.

"Not to interrupt such a wonderful family reunion," the Senator said in her Texas drawl, "but there are certain matters of great importance to be discussed."

Bruce looked toward Kevin. The black man slightly inclined his head and stepped closer to Travis.

"Okay. Where should we all talk? My daughter is here, so let's get to it."

A crowd of people were now gathering and the Senator gave then her best campaign smile. "Why don't we go upstairs to my office. The Major General is waiting for us."

Travis watched Kevin anxiously. There was tension in the other man's face and Travis could feel his own nerves twitching. The time was growing near.

"Very well," Katie said. "Let's get this over with."

"Agreed," the Senator agreed. "Let's go into my office."

"..said the spider to the fly," Jenni whispered from behind Travis and a chill flowed down his back.

3. Showdown As Katie walked up the frozen escalator, she could feel the eyes of the hundred or so people gathered in the corridor below staring up at her. The irony of the rescue center being a mall made her smile slightly. And of course, Kevin was a black hero. Romero would be proud.

That she was a blond, pregnant woman was also amusing to her. But unlike the heroine of Dawn of the Dead, she was a former prosecutor that had no issue stepping up to the plate. She would not stand by and wait for the men to make the difficult choices. Add in that she was bis.e.xual and she was pretty much blowing the stereotype.

She loved that.

Katie could see the strain in Travis' face and knew he was worried sick.

Every time she looked at him, his gaze seemed to wrap around her protectively. She loved him and he loved her. That gave her strength.

Strangely, Lydia being brought up by the Senator had given her strength as well. The memory of her wife made her feel more determined and strong. There was no way she was going to let the Senator enslave these people. They deserved a chance to have a good life. A chance Lydia never had.

She caught sight of her own reflection in a mirror set into the side of a storefront. She saw that her jaw was set and her gaze determined. Her blond curls fell in a tumble to her shoulders and her swollen belly rounded out her green sweater. She looked flushed and strong. That made her smile a bit more.

Entering the office behind the Senator, she saw a military man seated behind the desk. He vacated his spot to the Senator and Katie remembered that Kevin had pegged this man as someone who had joined the military to enhance his political resume. The Senator took her seat as her smarmy campaign manager took up his place behind her chair.

Kevin entered and sat down in a chair, his expression strained. Jenni and Bill had wanted to come as well, but only Travis had been allowed to accompany her. Her Dad also was allowed into the meeting. He gave her an encouraging smile as he sat next to Kevin. Travis leaned back against the closed door, his arms folded over his chest, his gaze encouraging.

The office was small, but not at all cozy. She took a breath, readying herself.

The Senator crossed her legs and rested her folded hands on her lap. "Let us get down to business. I take it you are speaking for the fort, Katie?"

"Consider me their amba.s.sador," she answered.

"Very well, amba.s.sador. We will be relocating to the fort immediately. I expect for you to have the Governor's Suite ready for us," the Senator started. "I want a meeting with the fort's former leadership for an indepth debriefing within an hour of my arrival."

Katie arched her eyebrow. " I see."

"You all will then be instructed in our plans for the fort and be given directions on how we will go about establishing the fort as a supply depot to the President's enclave known as Central. Each and every person will be expected to do their part in our plan to create a strong, working force."

"I see." Katie repeated, raising her other eyebrow.

"We will expect full cooperation on all levels. The Major General will oversee all security matters with the a.s.sistance of the First Lieutenant. I would also like an armed escort dispatched to check on my sister, Blanche Mann, at her estate. Unless she is already in your fort." The Senator tilted her head. "Is she?"

"She was," Katie answered. "Until she shot a man and killed two others.

Now, she is most likely staggering through the countryside."

"What?" The Senator rose sharply to her feet.

"Oh, and about your plans," Katie said blithely. "Fold them five ways and shove them up your a.s.s." She heard her Dad and husband laugh at this and her smile grew larger. Diplomacy be d.a.m.ned. She was p.i.s.sed off.

"Excuse me?" The Senator looked shocked to be spoken to in such a way.

She probably was since she was accustomed to people kissing her a.s.s.

"We are not giving up the fort. I'm here to inform you that the people of Madison Mall are welcome there. We are more than willing to take them in. We have enough supplies to last until summer and hopefully by then we will be growing our own food. Now, if you want to come as well, you will need to realize we are working hard on building a community based on respect of the individual and what each can contribute to our society."

"What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?" The Senator looked confused and glanced sharply toward her campaign manager. Raleigh looked just as shocked as she did.

"We are determined to give people a chance to have a good life. If they don't agree with the concepts of hard work, loyalty, and the basic ideals of the US Const.i.tution, they can leave."

"You will not tell me how to live my life," the Senator snapped.

"Oh, but you can tell us?"

"I am an elected official. That is my job! To make the hard decisions that you cannot," the Senator retorted. She came around the desk in a streak of red.

Katie didn't back up as she was sure the Senator expected her to, but crossed her arms under her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She could feel the curve of her belly under them and felt even stronger.

"I am in charge here! I make the hard choices for the people!"

"You see, that is where you are mistaken. You're supposed to represent the people who elected you and help them by not hampering their lives. And that is what you want to do. Kevin showed us your plans. You call people a.s.sets! Breeders! You estimate how many of us can die and not be considered a liability to your plans."

The Senator shot a venomous look at Kevin. "You were supposed to convince them to turn over the fort."

Kevin stood up slowly. "I went and told them your plans so they wouldn't."

"Excuse me?" The Senator looked completely shocked.

"First Lieutenant Reynolds, how dare you defy a direct order?" The Major General rose to his feet heavily, looking furious.

"Easily. I realized it meant making the people surviving in this mall into slaves." Kevin stood with his chin up, his eyes blazing.

"Slaves?" The Senator barked a sharp, sarcastic laugh. "They are the future of this country! They need to be guided firmly and not left to their own devices or else we are going to be doomed."

"Our fort is much better off than this mall, Senator. We are just common people trying to survive in this new world and make a life for ourselves,"

Katie retorted.

"And doing a better job at it than we are," Kevin added.

"How long before your people fall into chaos without proper and experienced leadership? Let's be frank here. You have no clue what you are doing and you will need me to guide you. The civilians of this country have proven they can barely take care of themselves. Why do you think there are so many social programs to a.s.sist them? They have no idea how to make good, solid choices for themselves." The Senator's voice had gone very quiet and persuasive. It was the voice she was famous for during debates.

"Bulls.h.i.t," Katie answered angrily. So much for her persuasive prosecutor approach. "You are completely underestimating the people who helped build this country."

"You will turn over the fort per the orders of the President of the United States," the Major General said in a firm voice.

Bruce Kiel shook his head. "There is no more United States. Don't you see that? It's fallen and all that remains are pockets of survivors that will do what they must to survive. Some will become animals but others will rise above. You've been making choices for everyone here and now it's time for us to start making choices for ourselves."

"If people want to stay here, then they can. But we are offering them a chance to come to the fort," Katie continued. "If you want to stay here, that is your choice. But you can come with us. You will just be one of many. You will have to find a way to make yourself useful and that doesn't mean trying to tell the rest of us what to do out of a false sense of superiority."

The Senator laughed and shook her head. "You are completely delusional.

You actually think those sheep out there will follow you? I have proven myself as a leader of this State. I am an elected official. I know d.a.m.n well how to lead people who are unable to even lead themselves."

Her campaign manager was wincing. Katie thought it was rather amusing. She supposed he still tended to think about popularity polls and campaign rhetoric.

"I think you're wrong. I know you're wrong. And I know this ridiculous plan you have to establish a totalitarian form of government is utter bulls.h.i.t and doomed to fail."

"Government and the law bring order to the people. Without us they don't know how to think or act for themselves. Only the educated and the powerful truly understand the full dynamics of what it takes to run a society."

Katie shook her head. It shocked her to realize the Senator fully believed what she was saying. "You know what. I'm not here to debate politics. I'm here to tell you how it is. We are not turning over the fort and we are not going to follow your orders. Your rule is over. And we are leaving with whoever wants to go with us."

"My men will not follow you into mutiny, First Lieutenant," the Major General said, pushing out his chin, trying to look fierce. His eyes strayed to the woman who promised him power and guidance. His weakness was evident.

"They will and they are," Kevin answered. "We're done here and frankly, sir, you are disgrace to the uniform you wear. The minute you fell into bed with this woman you lost your right to order any of us."

The Senator's mouth opened in shock. "Well, I never-'"

"Oh, please," Katie said with the roll of her eyes.

"The worst thing I ever did was turn over the mall to you. I should have trusted myself. I learned my lesson. I'm leaving and taking these people and my men with me," Kevin said in a firm voice.

"There is no room for debate on this," Travis added. "We're taking these people home."

"We're done here," Katie said firmly. "We're leaving in the morning. We'll spend the rest of the evening organizing the people for the airlift. You are welcome, despite your b.i.t.c.hiness, to join us. But if you do, remember, you will be just another member of our little fort."

The Senator leaned back against her desk, smirking. "We'll see."

Turning around, Katie looked at her father, Travis and Kevin. The three men were all looking quite serious, but Kevin slightly smiled at her.

"Paige, you just can't let them do this," the Major General said in a low voice.

"Try to stop us," Katie answered.

Travis opened the door and they left without a backward glance.

Chapter 18 1. The Last Hours The afternoon was harder work than any of them had fully antic.i.p.ated.

Kevin made the announcement over the intercom system that anyone wanting to move to the fort and have a new way of life was to line up in the food court to be registered for the airlift. A few people had laughed when they heard Valerie's voice whisper: "And tell them the Senator won't be in charge." Kevin had then hastily added that sentiment.

The line had formed immediately. Jenni and Katie had found themselves scrambling to get organized.

Families were to register in one notebook. Elderly singles in another.

Orphans in another. Singles in the last.

Jenni carefully translated for the immigrants that were confused and promised them that they were not going to be reduced to non-citizens.

Meanwhile, Katie kept a.s.suring the elderly that they would be taken care of and the helicopter ride wouldn't be all that bad.

"Child, after nearly having to run from those d.a.m.n zombies, that helicopter will be like a ride to heaven," Ethel had a.s.sured her.

Travis and Kevin spoke with the soldiers that filed in from outside to make sure their allegiance was known. Most of them were relieved at the prospect of something more stable than the mall. They were weary and rundown. They had been keeping the zombies at bay for months with no chance of relief or to mourn all that they had lost. It had been hard and some men and women had broken. There were five soldiers that had disappeared over the last few months. It was tempting to try to make a break for it and try to make it home. But the zombie threat was all too real beyond the walls and too much of a risk if you were in your right mind.

But then again, who was truly in their right mind anymore?

"Jenni, I really do wanna make sure my kids and I get on the same helicopter, okay?" Amy's face was drawn with concern as she sat to write down her name and those of her kids. "Losing their Daddy like they did was so hard and I don't want them to think they're alone."

Jenni looked up to see a little boy with thick, straight bangs staring at her with the biggest chocolate brown eyes she had ever seen. She couldn't help but smile. The boy's older sisters were both blondes with eyes the color of the morning sea. All three were holding hands and the oldest girl, around eight, was holding her mother's shirt firmly in one hand.

"Don't worry. We want to make sure to keep families together if we can,"

Jenni a.s.sured her.

Amy scrunched up her face and sighed. "Just so hard, Jenni. Having faith again. After all that went down at the civic center and here."

Jenni leaned toward Amy and took her hand gently. "It'll be okay. I promise. Your kids are gonna get a good life. Okay? And somewhere far from here."

Amy forced a smile and clutched Jenni's hand. "Okay. I believe you."

With a smile, Jenni reached out and ruffled the little boy's hair. "You're going to have a big adventure tomorrow."

He just stared at her, blinking those huge dark eyes.

"He doesn't talk no more. Not since his Daddy died," Amy said softly.

Jenni sighed. "I understand. It's not easy." She thought of her own kids and brushed her hair back from her face, trying to regain her composure.

Amy stood and gathered her kids around her. "Thanks for doing this, Jenni. We needed it. Bad."

"Guadalupe Garcia," the old Mexican woman said to Katie. She wielded her cane like a sword. "Let the puta stay here and die."

With a laugh, Katie wrote down the woman's name. "Well, she can come along if she promises to behave."

Mumbling in Spanish, the old woman gave Katie a hard stare.

"Not that I think she will come along," Katie a.s.sured her.

"She won't give up control. She'll do something. That is her way. She's not a good person," Guadalupe said firmly.