to fight with him and that she should rise to that challenge. But her rationale won out and she calmed. Then her walls came down entirely and she collapsed into his arms weeping.
"I can't take it anymore," she sobbed. "They have to be dead. They have to be." He tried to soothe her but she just went on shuddering and shaking as she wept. "I've performed so many experiments."
Pushing away, Naughton took her face in his hands and looked into her tear soaked eyes. "Do you believe they're dead."
Slowly, hesitantly, she nodded.
"Then they are." He stood up and brushed off his trousers. "Get yourself together and be ready to leave in a couple of hours."
Now her angst turned to confusion. "Why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," he said with a smile. "I just thought we'd go away for a long weekend."
***
AT around 4:50 pm, Abby made a decision to call Peter Ventura. Her work day was just about over and she was gathering up her things. Signaling Whitaker that she was going to leave momentarily, she went into the back room and pulled out her phone. After what had happened the other night, with the leaflets and the fire, she had sworn never to get involved with Peter and his group again. She also couldn't stand lying to Martin. But this was different. This wasn't an abandoned building where someone had thrown in a bunch of zombies. This was perverse. She knew she should be dialing Heron's number instead of Peter's and yet she couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Abby!" Peter cried as he answered the phone. "My God, I'm glad to hear from you. I swear to you, I didn't set that fire."
"Let's not start that again, Peter. I've found something new. Can you meet me here at the gym tomorrow night at five?"
He was silent for a moment, no doubt wondering what to make of her sudden change of heart. Then, "Of course. Should I bring anything?"
"No," she said. "This time, we'll decide what to do with this together."
And, with that, she hung up. For some reason, Peter seemed intent on having her as part of his group. She didn't understand why. She didn't understand the respect she'd garnered from Heron either. Everyone seemed to think she was this exceptionally strong woman yet she always felt so weak. Regardless, if Peter was desperate for her company, then she would make him jump through hoops to have it. The rest of the group was a different story, but she couldn't worry about them at the moment.
All the way home, she chewed on the information that John Arrick had given her. What would she do with that information? Obviously, she intended to go there. She wanted to see what it was all about before she actually made any decisions. Then she and Peter could figure out how to handle it. They could expose the location on their web site. Emily James, a young girl whose relationship with Peter was in question, had put together a very graphic and telling site. As Abby had suggested, the other members of the group had posted their horrible experiences but it hadn't been enough for Emily. She'd painted horrible pictures of zombies and the people who supported their "rights". It was founded on hate. That's what Abby saw when she viewed the site. She knew that, like the fliers they had posted on the safe houses, it would be more destructive than constructive. Perhaps that was why she had gone back to Peter. Perhaps she felt that she needed to take the reigns of his group so that they didn't get too far out of control. What qualified her for that job, she wondered?
Martin had had the day off so supper was already brewing when she came through the door. She hated it when he cooked but that was one of those things you didn't tell your spouse. Whatever he was making smelled pretty good but it would either be too spicy or too bland. Oh well. She had other things on her mind. And they stayed on her mind all through dinner. She answered
"I can't take it anymore," she sobbed. "They have to be dead. They have to be." He tried to soothe her but she just went on shuddering and shaking as she wept. "I've performed so many experiments."
Pushing away, Naughton took her face in his hands and looked into her tear soaked eyes. "Do you believe they're dead."
Slowly, hesitantly, she nodded.
"Then they are." He stood up and brushed off his trousers. "Get yourself together and be ready to leave in a couple of hours."
Now her angst turned to confusion. "Why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," he said with a smile. "I just thought we'd go away for a long weekend."
***
AT around 4:50 pm, Abby made a decision to call Peter Ventura. Her work day was just about over and she was gathering up her things. Signaling Whitaker that she was going to leave momentarily, she went into the back room and pulled out her phone. After what had happened the other night, with the leaflets and the fire, she had sworn never to get involved with Peter and his group again. She also couldn't stand lying to Martin. But this was different. This wasn't an abandoned building where someone had thrown in a bunch of zombies. This was perverse. She knew she should be dialing Heron's number instead of Peter's and yet she couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Abby!" Peter cried as he answered the phone. "My God, I'm glad to hear from you. I swear to you, I didn't set that fire."
"Let's not start that again, Peter. I've found something new. Can you meet me here at the gym tomorrow night at five?"
He was silent for a moment, no doubt wondering what to make of her sudden change of heart. Then, "Of course. Should I bring anything?"
"No," she said. "This time, we'll decide what to do with this together."
And, with that, she hung up. For some reason, Peter seemed intent on having her as part of his group. She didn't understand why. She didn't understand the respect she'd garnered from Heron either. Everyone seemed to think she was this exceptionally strong woman yet she always felt so weak. Regardless, if Peter was desperate for her company, then she would make him jump through hoops to have it. The rest of the group was a different story, but she couldn't worry about them at the moment.
All the way home, she chewed on the information that John Arrick had given her. What would she do with that information? Obviously, she intended to go there. She wanted to see what it was all about before she actually made any decisions. Then she and Peter could figure out how to handle it. They could expose the location on their web site. Emily James, a young girl whose relationship with Peter was in question, had put together a very graphic and telling site. As Abby had suggested, the other members of the group had posted their horrible experiences but it hadn't been enough for Emily. She'd painted horrible pictures of zombies and the people who supported their "rights". It was founded on hate. That's what Abby saw when she viewed the site. She knew that, like the fliers they had posted on the safe houses, it would be more destructive than constructive. Perhaps that was why she had gone back to Peter. Perhaps she felt that she needed to take the reigns of his group so that they didn't get too far out of control. What qualified her for that job, she wondered?
Martin had had the day off so supper was already brewing when she came through the door. She hated it when he cooked but that was one of those things you didn't tell your spouse. Whatever he was making smelled pretty good but it would either be too spicy or too bland. Oh well. She had other things on her mind. And they stayed on her mind all through dinner. She answered
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