Read It All Comes Down To Zombies: Sarah for Free Online

asked, “Have you seen anyone on your way here from New York?”
     
    “I ran into some military personnel a few days back,” Jimmy answered. “A guy and his dog. A family on their way to Texas.”
     
    “What about a woman and a little girl?”
     
    “No,” Jimmy said. “Sorry.”
     
    “He had a dog?” a little boy piped up. “And it wasn’t sick?”
     
    “Nope, it wasn’t sick. Nice dog, too. A golden retriever.”
     
    “Oh,” said the boy. “Our dog got sick. Daddy had to shoot him.”
     
    “I’m sorry to hear that, kiddo.”
     
    “Me too,” the little boy snuffled, wiping his nose on his shirt sleeve.
     
    The adults had to stifle a laugh.
     
    “What was the military doing?” one of the adults asked.
     
    “Uh, well,” Jimmy started.
     
    Martha cut him off with a pointed glance and turned to the teenager at her side. “Marcus, honey, why don’t you take the kids to the Play Place? Let us old people talk for a while.”
     
    Marcus rolled his eyes, and gathered up the kids.
     
    “Don’t forget your…”
     
    “It’s in my boot, like Mr. Ralph showed me. We’ll be fine, Mrs. Martha.”
     
    Martha smiled. “I’m sure you will, child.”
     
    The children, upon hearing their destination, began to shriek and argue over who got to slide into the balls first. When Marcus finally closed the door after the last one, Martha nodded at Jimmy.
     
    “I didn’t really stick around to find out,” Jimmy continued. “I heard gunshots, and screaming, and…there was a big line of cars between me and the checkpoint, so I turned off at the next exit, and found another way. That’s how I ended up at Sarah’s, actually. Weird twist of fate, I guess.”
     
    Another lie. Jimmy was definitely hiding something.
     
    “Our turn,” Sarah said. “Why are you all here? Why haven’t you headed to the outpost they’ve been chattering about on the radio?”
     
    “Same reason you found another way,” one of the dads responded. “We don’t trust the government.”
     
    “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name,” Jimmy said. He always was good at pretending he was polite.
     
    “Tyrell.”
     
    “I think that’s a good judgment call, Tyrell. I don’t trust the government, either. But according to the guy on the radio, the outpost doesn’t belong to the government.”
     
    “We don’t trust those people, either. Why are they going to all this trouble to round everyone up?  There’s about forty of us here, and we’re struggling to feed everyone, and keep everyone safe. And it’s only been a week and a half since this thing first hit the papers. A week and a half! They say they’ve got a hundred and fifty people within their walls. How are they going to support everyone without government involvement? How?”
     
    “That’s a very good question, Tyrell. I don’t know the answer. How are you folks supporting yourselves?”
     
    “Mostly by searching the stores. But Ralph is teaching us to hunt, and what to watch out for in a sick animal.”
     
    “I’m sure they’re doing similar things,” Jimmy replied. “Maybe they’ve started a garden in case they have to support everyone long term. They’d only need to stop in to Walmart for everything they needed.”
     
    “How do you defend something that big?”
     
    “You set up a perimeter. Have rotating guards at key points. Create a system for quick communication between posts and guards within the village. Everyone who’s able helps with all the chores, including guard duty. It’s not easy, but it’s doable if everyone pitches in.”
     
    “What about the kids?”
     
    “What about them?”
     
    “What do they do while their parents are on guard duty, and whatever?”
     
    “I mean, have you forgotten how our society worked?” Jimmy asked, exasperation plain in his voice. “In a week and a half? Keep the good, leave the bad. Want to set up a school? Set up a school. If you like the idea of daycare, set up a daycare. If you