Chapter Two. Per normal I own nothing.
Tallahassee woke up to a door slamming upstairs. He yawned and stretched before rolling off the couch. Guessing that it would be polite to go thank Phoenix he climbed the stairs and wondered into the kitchen.
"Hey man I gotta thank you," he said. "I didn't want to crash in hotel again. I don't like people changing the sheets every five seconds," he said.
"Then put a 'do not disturb sign on the door," Summer snapped coming around the corner. Tallahassee cringed. "And get out of my house," she added putting her hands on her hips.
"Hey Summer," he sighed.
"Good morning Tal," she replied.
"Though you were in Denver," he said.
"I just got back last night," she replied. He nodded sucking on his teeth. "Phoenix let you in here?" she asked. He nodded. "What did you do to Chicago?" she sighed.
"I didn't do anything, she's overreacting again," he replied leaning against the doorframe.
"I'm sure," she said rolling her eyes.
"I just went out with the guys," he said.
"Did you tell her you were going?" Summer asked.
"No because she would have stopped me," he replied.
"And there in lies the problem," Summer sighed sitting down in the breakfast nook. Tallahassee scratched the back of his head. "Why don't you get a job?" Summer sighed. He rolled his eyes. "It's not even like a real job," she added. "You go, you do what you're good at when you feel like it, and when you don't you do whatever you do feel like."
"This is what I am good at," he said. "Killing Zombies is what I do, it's what I'm good at," he said. Summer shook her head.
"Well… All I can tell you is you will be better off just talking to her," she said.
"Goodnight," he sighed before retreating back to the basement.
Chicago unbuckled her seat-belt as they reached the gate. She hopped out of the truck. "Hey John," she said as a man stepped out of the little security hut.
"Good morning Chicago," he replied with a grin.
"We're going out. Heading for Denver," she said.
"Yes ma'am," he nodded and opened the gate. She got back in the truck and they rolled out.
Chicago watched the fence that surrounded the town of Willowville fade from view. The little Midwest town had become their own peace of heaven nearly three years before. It had taken a month to construct the reinforced fence and clear the few zombies inside.
The town had space enough for a couple hundred people, a reservoir as a water supply, and outside the fence there was plenty of farming grounds to the north. Everyone on Chicago's crew owned a house on Main Street, though some of them were rarely around.
Little Rock turned on her stereo; the beat up iPod in its cradle flicked to life as she did and started to play. Chicago leaned back in the seat watching the road fly past. Things were all normal outside. Good and dead. The occasional Zombie made a roadside appearance. Chicago closed her eyes. It was a well-worn road from Willowville to Denver.
Tallahassee wallowed around restlessly listening to Summer's footsteps on the ceiling above him. He rolled over and flicked the TV on. They had a grand total of two stations that came from a station down the street and after six months of stagnation he had seen just about everything they played.
"Man, I'll have to order a porno channel or something if you stay too long," Phoenix said coming down the stairs. Tallahassee sat up.
"Summer was happy to see me," he smirked.
"Yeah I know, she already chewed me out. You owe me," Phoenix replied putting his hands in his pockets.
"Don't worry, I'll be out of here in a little while. Chicago is leaving for Denver today," he said.
"You could always crawl through Koda's doggy door," Phoenix grinned.
"Very funny," Tal sighed. "A man gets himself stuck once while drunk and no one will let him live it down," he added. Phoenix laughed. "Hey how was Nana's thing?" Tal asked.
"Oh it was good. She was reciting Shakespeare," he replied. "I gotta go back in for her basketball game this evening," Phoenix replied.
"Denver gonna be there?" Tal asked.
"Yep," Phoenix nodded.
"I'll go with you then. He probably has keys to the house," the cowboy sighed laying back down.
"Okay…. Well, lay low, don't piss my girl off too," Phoenix said as he left.
Little Rock jabbed Chicago in the ribs as they drew close. Chicago rubbed her eyes and looked out over the open space. The massive airport was clearly visible. She sighed realizing she had just taken a nap that was several hours longer than she had intended.
"I'm thinkin' about taking a trip up to Haven," she said absentmindedly.
"To get away from Tal?" Little Rock asked turning down the radio.
"That and I'm just tired. I need to get away from stuff for a while. I was hoping your sister and Columbus would come with me, maybe some of the others… you know, have a week of just us like we used to," Chicago said.
"I don't know if I can make it," Little Rock shook her head.
"Why not?" Chicago furrowed her brow.
"I'm running a crew out to the coast to take some samples of the ocean," Little Rock replied. Chicago twisted in the seat.
"Who gave you the go ahead on that?" she asked.
"Washington," Little Rock replied unconcerned.
"Uh-huh," Chicago bit her lip.
They pulled up to the gate of the airport and two guards approached the car. One came to the truck while the other went towards the trailer. Little Rock rolled down the window and held up her ID badge.
The man fiddling around near the trailer jumped back as an arm came through the bars and attempted to grab him. "Careful, they're fresh," Little Rock laughed leaning out the window. She looked back to the guard nearest her. "It's a delivery to the lab, I've got clearance from Kokomo if you want to see it," she said.
He shook his head. "You really think I would doubt the best trapper in the city?" he grinned. She gave him a smile back and patted him on the shoulder.
"Carry on then," she joked and rolled her window up.
"They're calling you the best trapper now?" Chicago asked putting her sunglasses on.
"I bring in more live catches on my own without incident than anyone else," Little Rock sighed. "I'll drop you off at the door."
"Washington!" Chicago snapped walking into the security office. She had spent ten minutes walking from the door of the airport across the food court where everyone seemed to want to stop her and talk.
The tall lanky man stood up in surprise and tripped backwards when his chair refused to slide. "What?" he asked in his cockney accent.
"You gave Little Rock the go ahead to take a team out?" she asked.
"Kokomo needed water samples," he said.
"So send another team, but don't send Little Rock," Chicago said.
"She wanted to go. She's been driving me crazy," he argued.
"Maybe you've forgotten, she's only seventeen!" Chicago snapped.
"And she's better than half the slayers in this place," he replied sitting back down. Chicago put her hands on her hips. "I think she's earned her own crew," he replied.
"No," Chicago shook her head. "No, no solo missions," she said. "If she has to go out she goes with someone," she said. He looked at her for a moment. "Don't look at me like that," she sighed.
"You need to relax… what's got you on edge so much lately?" he asked.
"Other than the hordes of dead out there?" she sighed.
"Yeah, you didn't use to be this high strung," he replied. She sighed and looked away from him.
"I don't know… we lost Maxwell a week ago," she shook her head. Washington was quiet for a moment.
"You know people… die in Zombieland," he sighed. She set her jaw.
"Yeah, well we're trying to prevent it," she said sternly. "That's my final word on it, okay? Little Rock does not go out unless someone is with her, and you know who I trust," she said.
"No one?" he joked. She glared at him and he put his hands up in surrender. "I know who you do and don't trust. Don't worry I'll take care of it," he said. She left his office and put her sunglasses back on.
"She kicked you out again?" Denver asked. Tallahassee sighed and kicked at the gravel below his boots.
"Do you have a key or not?" he asked.
"No I already gave you my spare remember?" Denver sighed watching the kids on the court. "Hey, hey, Maddie! Use your legs!" he shouted at one of the players. "You never gave it back," he added looking back at Tallahassee. "So what did you do this time?" he asked returning his gaze to the warm up.
"I went out and didn't tell her," Tallahassee sighed.
"You gotta stop doing that," Denver shook his head.
"What am I supposed to do?" Tal muttered.
"Get a job," Denver replied. "Nana! Pass! Pass!" he shouted.
"Pasar! Pasar!" Phoenix shouted.
"Well… I'll leave you two alone," Tallahassee sighed and turned away.
"You might check with Columbus for a key," Denver said.
"Right," Tallahassee sighed and looked up towards the school.