Dead Highways (Book 2): Passage (25 page)

“What do you want me to do?” Aamod asked.

“I want you to do what Peaches just did,” Robinson replied. “Step up and offer something to this group. Otherwise, you can get out. We don’t need you.”

“I have to protect my daughter. I can’t do that dead.”

“Oh get off it already. You don’t have to overprotect her. She’s an eighteen-year-old girl, I don’t think she wants her father up her butt all the time.”

“She’s not
your
daughter. I bet you’d feel differently if your son was here.”

“I’m warning you, don’t bring my son into this.”

“Your son is the reason why we’re all here right now. Why wouldn’t I bring him into this?”

“My son has nothing to do with this,” Robinson said. “This has to do with you and your bullshit—”

“What are you talking about?” Aamod interrupted. “Aren’t we heading to New Orleans to look for your son? Isn’t that what we’re doing? I didn’t have to come along you know.”

“I didn’t ask you to,” Robinson replied. “I was perfectly happy going by myself. You chose to come along, and you made that choice because you thought you’d have a better chance at staying alive if you stayed with us. So far, that bet has paid off. Unfortunately, your time may be running out. And as far as this group is concerned, it’s expired.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re so smart. Figure it out.”

Aamod shook his head. “Do you think kicking me out will help you find your son? Or do you even care anymore?”

Robinson made a strong move closer to Aamod. I was glad Aamod didn’t have his shotgun on him, in case things continued to escalate. I also felt bad for the others waiting for us to come back and pick them up.

“I told you to shut up about my son.”

“Listen to me then. If you care about your son, why aren’t we on the road? Why are we here at some woman’s house, wasting time?”

“Because I’m not a selfish asshole like you.”

“Look around. Are you going to try and save everybody? Is that your plan? Are we going to stop at every town and help everyone we meet?”

“I let you join the group. I helped you out when you needed it. Why shouldn’t I help her?” When Aamod didn’t respond, Robinson turned and went for the car. “Jimmy, Peaches, if you’re coming then come on.”

“You’re afraid,” Aamod said. “That’s it. That’s what it is.”

Robinson opened the car door, and then slowly glanced back at Aamod standing in the middle of the yard. “If I’m so afraid, why would I be trying to help people, knowingly putting myself in danger?”

I think I knew where Aamod was going with this, even if Robinson didn’t yet.

“You’re not afraid of death,” Aamod replied. “Maybe you even welcome it. You’re afraid of the truth.”

“What … truth?”

“The truth you may find waiting for you in New Orleans. You’re afraid to find out the answer to the question of whether your son is alive. Or dead. Or infected. That’s it. That’s why you keep delaying us. You say you want to help this woman, but that’s all just a distraction, isn’t it? To keep your mind off your son. To keep your mind off the fact that you believe him to be most likely dead. Or simply gone. And that you’ll never find him. You’ll never see him again. You’re afraid of the truth.”

Aamod may have not had his shotgun on him, but he blasted Robinson with a direct hit nonetheless. And it left Robinson speechless. He bowed his head, took a deep breath. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he lifted his head back up and stared at Aamod.

“I’m sorry,” Aamod said.

I won’t lie, those words sounded strange coming out of Aamod’s mouth. However, I don’t think he was sorry for saying what he said; only that he had to be the one to say it. And the way Robinson had reacted, or
not
reacted, maybe Aamod had hit the nail on the head. Maybe Robinson
was
afraid to find out the truth. If so, he wouldn’t admit it. Certainly not now, as angry as he was.

“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” Robinson said softly. “Not anymore. You threatened the lives of people in this group. You try to intimidate everyone. You only care about helping yourself, never about what the group wants. Tonight was the last straw. In the morning we’re leaving, and you’re not coming with us.”

Aamod shrugged. “If that’s your decision. Fine. I have to do what’s right for my daughter.”

“You’re a selfish little man, but I hope to God you find some way to survive out there. For her sake,” Robinson said, pointing at Naima.

Naima didn’t look pleased by this new arrangement, but before she could object, Aamod swept her back into the house.

“We really need to get a move on,” Robinson said. “So if you guys want to say goodbye or anything, make it fast. I’ll be waiting in the car.”

Peaches and I headed back into the house. We stopped in the foyer, so as to not walk in on Aamod talking with Naima in the living room. It was too dark to tell if she was crying, but she was clearly upset. Aamod did his best to calm her down. Before I knew it, I had to do the same thing. Only with Peaches.

In a flash, she had turned on the waterworks.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I’m not gonna go anymore,” she said, a couple of tears running down her cheeks.

“Why not?”

“I can’t leave Olivia here now.”

“Naima can watch her until we return.”

“I can’t ask that. Not after what just happened. And you know how Aamod is, he might just up and decide to leave immediately. I don’t want to take that chance. It’s okay. I’ll stay here with Olivia.”

I nodded. “That’s probably best.”

“But you should at least say goodbye to her.”

“I don’t want to wake her.”

“Oh, come on.”

Peaches grabbed a candle from the kitchen counter and led me to the guest bedroom. Olivia lay on the guest bed sleeping. Her protector, Jax, slept beside her.

“I hope Cathy doesn’t mind him being up there,” Peaches said. “I tried to get him off, but he wouldn’t budge.”

“I think she’s got more important things on her mind right now.” I stepped closer to the bed, looked down at the baby. “Sleep well, Olivia,” I whispered. “Hopefully I’ll be back before you wake up.” Then I leaned over and patted Jax on the head. “And you … keep up the good work.” I glanced back at Peaches standing behind me. Even in the low light, I could see her eyes were still a wet mess. I put an arm around her. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

She nodded. “But you better come back, you hear me?” She put both her arms around me and squeezed tight. “Don’t you leave us.”

“I’ll hide behind Bowser.”

She forced a smile. “You do whatever you have to do.”

“I will.”

Then she leaned up and kissed me goodbye. Her soldier boy. It was a long kiss, full of love and the taste of her tears. I relished every last second of it.

And then I left to go to war.

We took Ted’s SUV back to the Winn-Dixie to pick up the others. Ted’s SUV, of course, contained most of the weapons, and if what Kyle had said was true, we were going to need all the firepower available to us. Robinson left the keys to the other SUV (the one I’d originally lifted from the toll plaza) with Peaches, in case something happened while we were gone and she needed to leave. He had only one stipulation. DO NOT, under any circumstances, give the keys to Aamod. Peaches had agreed. If Aamod wanted to leave now, rather than wait until morning, he could find his own
damn
car. It’s not like there weren’t plenty around to choose from.

Back at the Winn-Dixie, as I expected, the others were concerned something had happened to us. Robinson briefly—and I mean literally in a few short sentences—explained what had happened with Aamod, and that he and his daughter would no longer be coming with us. If anyone cared, no one spoke up. Everyone was on edge, ready to get moving. Cathy especially. And so we packed into the SUV and rode in silence back to the Walmart.

Robinson parked the car around back in the same spot as before, and then we all got out, careful not to slam the doors. If we were going to have any chance at successfully completing the mission casualty free, it was imperative that Charlie and the gang didn’t know we were coming. We needed the element of surprise. Or, as Bowser so eloquently put it, “Be on their punk asses before they know what hit ‘em.”

Ted lifted the back gate. “Okay, who wants what?”

“We need a plan first,” Robinson whispered.

Ted shrugged. “Okay. Let’s plan.”

“Follow me.”

Robinson led us back along the exterior of the fence of cars, and stopped behind the white van Bowser had used for cover earlier. He gestured for Kyle to come up next to him at the front of the line. “Do you know where that door leads?”

Kyle glanced around the front of the van. “Somewhere in the back hall.”

“Obviously. Is it near where they have Brian?”

“I don’t know. Like I said, I’m not exactly sure where they have him. I haven’t been back there all day. That’s Charlie and Brett’s territory.”

“But you said they had him near the receiving doors, correct?”

“That’s what Mike said.”

“Then he’s gotta be around that area.” Robinson pointed at the three large truck bays, their heavy chain operated doors shut tight. “There’s no way we’re getting any of those open from the outside, even if they’re unlocked. But that one,” he said, pointing back at the regular sized door just to the left of the three truck bays. “That one … maybe.”

“I could check to see if there’s a roadside kit of some kind in the back of the SUV,” Ted said. “Might be a crowbar, if we’re lucky. Could try prying the door open. Course I’m assuming it’s locked.”

“No, it definitely is,” Kyle replied. “In fact, all the doors are locked, and at all times. One of Charlie’s rules. And he constantly has Brett check them to make sure they stay that way.”

“Hmm. I think trying to break in might make too much noise anyway,” Robinson replied. “If Brian is somewhere nearby on the other side, chances are this Charlie guy won’t be too far.”

“Most likely,” Kyle agreed.

“Okay, so if the doors have to remain locked at all times, then you must have a key to one of them, right? Otherwise, how do you get back inside?” Robinson asked.

“No key. When my shift is done, I go to the front entrance. The non-grocery entrance. There is a side door. My relief, Mike or Brenda, is supposed to meet me there. Then they’ll unlock the door and let me in, and we trade places.”

“And then once they’re out on patrol, you lock the door behind them?” Kyle nodded. “When does your shift end?”

“9:30.”

Robinson looked back at me. “What time is it, Jimmy?”

I couldn’t see my watch in the dark. Kyle fortunately had it covered.

“9:22,” he said.

Robinson sighed. “That only gives us eight minutes. Let’s get back to the car.”

After shutting off the interior lights, we huddled around the SUV’s open back gate, the surrounding darkness our best friend.

“So…” I whispered. “What now?”

Everyone looked at Robinson. Looked for guidance. Robinson just stared at the building off in the distance.

Cathy sat on the back bumper, looking down, fidgeting with her hands. “We need to hurry.”

“We also have to be careful,” Ted said. “Gotta be smart.”

Robinson turned around. “Okay, gather around, I think I have a plan. Though I’m not sure how great it is.”

“We don’t have time for great anyway,” Bowser said. “Spit it out.”

Robinson spat out his ten-step plan.

As follows.

STEP 1:
Kyle would meet up with Brenda at 9:30 at the side door and talk her into helping us. Kyle believed Brenda was just as sick of Charlie and Brett’s ways as he was, and if told the plan, would gladly help however she could.

STEP 2:
Now inside, Kyle and Brenda (making sure to keep a look out for Brett) would go to the car center and unlock the doors, where the rest of us (minus Ted) would be waiting to go inside.

STEP 3:
Ted would make his way to the front parking lot, find a safe spot behind a car a hundred or so yards out, and then wait for his cue via radio.

STEP 4:
Leaving us to hide out in the tire and lube express, Brenda and Kyle would run frantically into the back hall and tell Charlie and Brett that someone in the parking lot took a shot at them as they were changing shifts.

STEP 5:
Charlie and Brett and maybe even Mike would then follow Kyle out of the back hall and up to the front of the store to investigate.

STEP 6:
Brenda would meet back up with us at the car center.

STEP 7:
Once Charlie and Brett were in sight, Ted would begin firing a small number of rounds into the glass doors at the front of the building. Not with the purpose of hitting them. Just to get their attention. So they wouldn’t have any reason to begin questioning Kyle and Brenda’s story.

STEP 8:
With the diversion in place, Robinson, Bowser, Cathy, and myself, would follow Brenda into the back hall, find Brian (still alive and ticking), cut him loose, and then sneak him out the back door.