She choked on the smoke billowing out of her lungs. "Oh."

"I told them that you're too much of a man for me. That you could probably kick my a.s.s ten ways until Sunday."

Half-coughing, half-laughing, Nerit grinned. "Probably."

Ed crossed his arms over his chest and planted his feet firmly apart. "I ain't gonna ask you out, Nerit. I admire you something fierce and yer my friend. Knowing my boys, they'll be dropping hints like crazy. I thought you should know."

"That's fine, Ed. And I am flattered." Nerit smiled slightly, trying not to think of Ralph and her own adult children. She had hope that her children and grandchildren were still alive in Israel, but hope was all she really had.

"Storm is going to hit hard. Better sound the alarm and get everything tied down."

"Agreed. Please take care of it," Nerit said.

Ed stared at her, studying her calm countenance, then nodded. "You got it."

Nerit continued to stare at the small fire. She was in pain and didn't want Ed to know it. Her hip and leg were throbbing, and she was afraid to move. There was no way she would show weakness. The people in the fort had elevated her to a legendary status, and she would not disappoint them by appearing fragile.

As he walked away, Nerit relaxed a little.

A few minutes later, Travis joined her. He slid an arm over her shoulder and gave her a light hug. Despite her resolve to be a hard a.s.s, she rested her head on his shoulder for a few seconds. He reminded her so much of her eldest son at times. It was nice to feel comforted.

"What's the status?" Travis asked.

"One dead. Six permanent new members. And one guy with a bag of grenades pa.s.sing through," Nerit answered. "The salvage team managed to get into that gun store in Emorton without bringing the entire town down on them. So we should be set for at least six more months as long as we don't get hit too hard. More boxed and canned food. Two generators. Fuel. And beauty supplies."

Travis laughed. "Let me guess: Lenore?"

"Ed said it wasn't a big thing. He looked the other way."

Travis shook his head slightly. "Well, it didn't cause an issue, so we'll look the other way, too."

"Bob is still out there," Nerit said after a long pause.

"I know. I spoke with that new guy, Dale, and he said there are quite a few bodies out there. He said that they came from a rescue station outside of Waco. Two vans made it away when they were overrun. He says the other van got ahead of them and must have had someone inside with a bite. It went off the road and they were swarmed."

"Ed said there were runners and older zombies. That one area is badly infested thanks to the migration from Hackleburg," Nerit sighed. The migrating zombies were the result of the fort rescuing survivors under attack by the now defunct bandits. It had been a risk they decided to take.

They had managed to rescue four people, but now the shambling dead were wandering through the hills seeking them out. "I think we should take a break during the bad weather to get our bearings and decide what our next steps are. We've been in overdrive, and I think people are worn out and cranky."

"Why don't we meet up after the weather clears up? Gather up the council and brainstorm?" Travis tucked his hands into his jacket as he gazed toward the approaching storm.

"I think that would do us a lot of good." Nerit admired Travis. He was not a natural born leader, but he was doing his best. "Having our attention focused on specific goals may help shake people out of their malaise a little."

"And we all prefer that to having a horde of zombies show up on our doorstep to get the old blood pumping," Travis joked.

"Well, this old blood is going in before the sleet gets here," Nerit said, patting his shoulder. She was relieved when her legs moved without much of a limp.

"See you later, Nerit," Travis said, giving her a fond smile.

"G.o.d willing," Nerit answered.

It wasn't until she was in her room with her old dog snoring in the corner that she realized Travis had been holding her up, giving her hip a rest, until she could move again. Collapsing into a chair, a book in hand, she lightly laughed and shook her head.

Maybe Travis was a better leader than she had given him credit for.

Cracking her romance novel open, she began to read.

3. Dangerous Times.

Katie stared down at the baby clothes strewn across her bed and felt her heart beat just a little bit faster. Her hand settled against her slightly swollen belly as her gaze slid to Jenni's anxious face.

"I did good, didn't I?"

"Amazing." Katie gently touched a blue onsie and her heart beat even faster.

"I got blue, pink and yellow stuff. I figured we have it covered if it's Jenni or Travis, Jr." Jenni picked up a little pink bonnet and set it on top of her head.

"Jenni, huh?"

"It's only natural for the baby to be named after her auntie," Jenni answered. She posed with the bonnet on her head. "Why wouldn't she be named after my fabulousness?"

The bonnet fell onto the bed and Katie slowly picked it up. She traced the tiny lace with one finger then took a deep breath. "Oh, G.o.d." She sat down hard on the edge of the bed and tried to calm her trembling hands.

"Hey, you okay?" Jenni immediately crawled over the bed to Katie's side.

"Yeah. Yeah. I think so. I just got overwhelmed there for a second." Katie forced herself to take another deep breath and felt embarra.s.sed by the tears suddenly br.i.m.m.i.n.g in her eyes. "Maybe it's hormones."

"Yeah, probably." Jenni smoothed Katie's hair back from her face.

"You're okay with having a baby, right?"

Katie was a little surprised by the question, but nodded. "Oh, yeah. I'm sure. I'm very sure. So is Travis."

Jenni kept silent as her fingers kept stroking Katie's hair. She was obviously waiting for Katie to go on.

"We did decide this together. It was a conscious choice to take our chances. We're trying to build a life together and this felt like the right thing to do." It was good to hear the words. Good to be reminded that this was a choice she made and she was responsible for what happened next. If there was a mantra Katie lived her life by, it was to live up to her potential and fulfill her responsibilities.

"Despite the zombies," Jenni said in a soft, worried voice after a long, uncomfortable pause.

Katie bristled slightly. She was very much aware of the criticism by some about her choice to be a mother. "Yes. Despite the zombies. They are here to stay. I don't see them going away anytime soon, do you?"

"No..." Jenni sighed sadly.

"So what are we supposed to do? Stop living? Stop trying to be happy?

Stop trying to build a future just because the dead decided we taste really d.a.m.n good?"

"Hey, you don't have to defend yourself to me!"

Katie stood up, clutching the bonnet in one hand and turned toward Jenni. "Are you sure?" She hated the swell of anger filling her, but she couldn't help herself. She was happy about the baby, overwhelmed at times, but she was happy. It was a piece of Travis inside of her and it made her feel closer to him than she had ever imagined. Before the dead began to attack the living, she had never seen herself as a mother. Her old life had not allowed much room for it. But this life, full of so much grief and terror, was also full of hope. The fort was secure now. It was a place of safety and community.

Jenni didn't answer, her hands limp in her lap, staring off into nothing.

"Jenni?"

"My baby died. My baby was eaten," Jenni said in a low voice. "I just don't want anything to happen to yours."

Katie swallowed hard as Jenni's words expressed her own fears. "I don't want anything to happen to anyone I love. Every time you are out there, I live in terror that you won't come back. But I can't expect you to stop doing what you need to do to help this fort survive. And I can't stop my life because of those f.u.c.king zombies out there." Irritably, Katie swept a tear off her cheek and sighed.

Jenni finally looked at her and gave her a slight smile. "The old life feels so far away. It did right away, you know. The first day. It just seemed so gone. Like the world was suddenly empty. But it feels fuller now.

Like...like...it's coming back to life."

Striding over to the bed, Katie hugged Jenni tightly. "It's because we didn't stop living."

Jenni kissed the growing baby b.u.mp and snuggled into Katie's embrace.

"I know. h.e.l.l, I think I kinda went apes.h.i.t crazy trying to feel alive those first few months."

At the memory of some of Jenni's more insane shenanigans, Katie had to smile. "Oh, yeah. Definitely."

"f.u.c.k zombies."

"f.u.c.k 'em."

"You're right, you know. About going on. h.e.l.l, look at me and Juan. And you and Travis. And lots of other people around here. The people who stopped trying to live their life are dead now. Like that chick who took a header into the zombies off the crane."

Katie nodded solemnly. "Yeah. That was awful."

Jenni shook her head. "Seriously f.u.c.ked up."

They lapsed into silence.

"Seriously, what else were we supposed to do?" Katie asked after a few contemplative seconds. "Just freak out all the time, be afraid, mourn the world and just stop trying to live?"

Jenni turned to gaze at her friend, her fingers sliding over Katie's.

Holding her hand firmly, Jenni said, "We have all done what we had to do to survive."

It was hard not to think of Lydia at times like these. Hard not to want to feel her soothing touch and her calming voice. Lydia always had a way of making her feel solid and safe. Much like Travis did now. In her heart, she believed that Lydia was watching over her and was proud of her.

Much to her chagrin, tears fell down her cheeks.

"Oh, Katie, don't cry!"

"It's okay! Stupid f.u.c.kin' hormones!" Katie laughed as she wiped her tears away. "I am d.a.m.n sure I'm doing the right thing. I know it."

Jenni smiled and squeezed her hand tighter. "I'll teach the baby to be loca. And it will do fine kickin' zombie a.s.s."

Kissing Jenni's cheek firmly, Katie felt her love for her friend fill her completely and totally. It was almost overwhelming. "I know. I know you'll always be looking out for me and the baby."

"You mean Jenni Junior."

Katie rolled eyes. "We'll see."

"It's totally the best name," Jenni a.s.sured Katie.

Despite her tears and her overwhelming emotions, Katie found her composure. "We'll all be okay. One way or the other. We're going to take back this world one little bit at a time."

"Now you sound like Travis."

"I am married to the guy."

"And it's so cute!"

"Don't start!"

"He is all adorable with you and-"

Katie punched Jenni's arm. "Don't start!"

Jenni rolled around on the bed laughing, scattering the baby clothes.

Chapter 4.

1. A little Taste of The Old World.

Ken was in a fabulous mood. The air was filled with a combination of the harsh scents of bleach and hair dye and the fruity fragrances of shampoo and conditioner. His dark hair now had blond tips and his fingernails were carefully manicured. He felt more like himself than he had in ages.

The big room that had been reluctantly turned over to him for his beauty salon was buzzing. Music played softly from a big, ancient boom box in the corner. Next to him, Lenore twisted Yolanda's hair into a tight French braid that wound around her head while Yolanda flipped through a year old copy of a fashion magazine. They were both sa.s.sing Felix, who was trying to ignore them as he read his book. With ebony skin and dark eyes, Felix was a good-looking guy, but painfully straight. Ken had tried flirting with him to no avail. He had been down in the dumps about his single status, but now that his beauty salon was up and running, he felt better.

He was much happier doing hair than working on the construction site.

Besides, he felt he was helping raise the spirits of the people in the fort.

Now, nothing could dampen his mood, not even the sleet pinging against the curtained windows. Another storm had blown in during the morning and was still going strong. But it was nice and warm in the hotel and the nastiness of the deadlands seemed far away. If only Curtis would sit still so he could give him a decent haircut, all would be well.

"Sit still!"