ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 1ST ENTRY.

Once Roxanne, Lucky and Mutt were back at the compound Roxanne locked the gate, put the rawhide string with the key around her neck and dropped the key under her shirt. Lucky noticed this and asked, "Is that the only key?"

"If I die you can always take it off my dead body," Roxanne answered and walked away. As Lucky watched her disappear around a bend in one of the paths he leaned down to pet Mutt and said, "If only you could talk Mutt, perhaps you could explain her to me." Mutt seemed to understand with a short "woof" and trotted off after Roxanne.

"This is not going to happen" Roxanne was thinking to herself and knew she should slow her walk down. If she walked any faster it would appear as if she were running away. "I'm not going to fall for the first guy who walks into this place. I don't know Lucky, don't want to know Lucky, and don't want to know anybody ever again. They are all gone sooner or later. I'll be gone sooner or later. None of us are going to survive this new world. It'll go back to the animals, the forests, the oceans."

Her thoughts were interrupted by a scream for "Help! Someone help me!" Roxanne recognized Ed's voice and started running for the center of the park only to be passed by Lucky.

"Help! Where is everybody? Lucky help me!" She rounded a corner in time to see Lucky pick up a steel bar and swing a blow to a walker's head. Ed had climbed part of the Ferris wheel and was trapped there by a walker below. Lucky made quick work of the walker and as Ed started to climb down he began yelling at them. "Where the hell have you 2 been? Leaving me all alone out here, unprotected and abandoning me!"

Roxanne quickly recovered and said, "The walkers are gathering at the fence. Those lights and the noise last night have them moving this way."

"We killed 4 of them," Lucky said looking at Roxanne, "but I guess there was a 5th that we missed." Roxanne had assumed that the walker she left at the fence would follow her in the car but now she knew that it had come thru the gate and there was no explaining that away.

Ed jumped to the ground and asked, "Yeah, but how are they getting in? Is there a breach in the fence?" His face was white with fear. He had thought he was safe here and that they were building a good beginning to a stable life. The thought of going on the road again, or fighting walkers terrified him. "Maybe I should concentrate on getting one of the service cars running instead of this other stuff. After all, we don't have a running vehicle yet" and he walked off.

Lucky waited until Ed was out of range then turned to Roxanne and said, "He's lying. He's been working on a vehicle every night after he thinks we have gone to bed."

"And you didn't tell me?" Roxanne asked.

"What else haven't you told me, Roxanne?"

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 2ND ENTRY:

When Roxanne had first arrived at Dollywood it was the cafeteria that had been the deciding factor on whether she would stay or not. Food was the first thing she had looked for and the pantry in the cafeteria was stocked beyond her imagination. There were boxes of food ranging from dried cereal to noodles. There were cans and jars of peaches, spam, vegetables, coffee and tea. There were bottles of water, soda and juices. Once she found the cabin and decided to make it her place of residence she moved a supply that would last 7 days to that location. But the rest she left in the cafeteria since it was better protected from animals and weather. She knew she would still need to ration it but the bounty overcame the eerie feeling she had at night that the place was haunted. The collapsed rides and buildings gave off distorted shadows at night and she still hadn't found the building where a door would bang when the breeze picked up. There was also the flapping of flags strung between buildings or from poles that gave off the sound of giant bats flapping at night. One morning she elected not to do more important things and went around to every place where flags were strung and cut them down although she wasn't able to get them all. Any movement attracted walkers which enforced her decision that she was doing the right thing in neglecting other chores and cutting down the flags. Those flags would be like a beacon to them, continuously moving and at night it seemed as if the sound could be heard for miles. It was the one thing that she felt would send her over the edge and she had been tenacious in cutting them down and stomping on them.

But on this day Roxanne remembered a sign posted in the Cafeteria that Dollywood took pride in using vegetables from their own gardens so she decided to check out the Landscaping Office and green house. There were plenty of jars of canned fruits and vegetables in storage but she wanted to save those for the winter months and use fresh during the warmer seasons. She thought she would check those 2 places to look for packages of seeds that they could plant. Perhaps Dollywood even sold seeds from their gardens and would have a supply of them.

She found some tools that they could use in the Landscaping Office but other than a schedule of planting seasons she found nothing useful. She went over to the Greenhouse but it was disastrous. Part of the roof had fallen in but the plants that were still receiving rain water were starting to sprout in their bins. The foliage looked like it would be tulips but nothing that they could eat. She smiled when she spotted a rack in the corner which held packages of seeds. She was shifting through them when Ed came in and said "I wanted to talk to you without Lucky around. I got a car started."

"That's great Ed."

He came up to her and said, "But here's the problem. I saw what looks like a logging road about 20 feet outside of the fence and those 20 feet is heavily wooded. If we want to use that logging road for escape that 20 feet will need to be cleared of brush."

"That's no problem Ed" Roxanne said as she continued to flip thru the packages. "We can help you with that."

"I don't want Lucky to know." That got Roxanne's attention. She stopped flipping thru the packages and looked up. "If the Shit hits the fan Roxie it's just you and me. We did it before, we can do it again and you've learned a lot more. It'll be one less mouth to feed. I'll clear off the land I just need you to cover for me so he doesn't suspect anything. I've already cut a hole in the fence"…

"YOU DID WHAT?"

"It's alright Roxie; I wired it back up again. It's safe but I needed access to get in and out, it just takes a little time to unravel the wire again, but quick enough if the situation gets bad. Are you with me Roxie?"

Roxanne stared him down. She couldn't believe it, that Ed would leave Lucky behind. She hadn't asked how long they had traveled together. She had been here a week before the 2 of them showed up at Dollywood. She had spent 3 days with the old lady; had been on the road alone 3 days before that and she & Mutt had been together for a week before arriving here. She was sure that Lucky had saved Ed's life several times over.

"Yeah Ed, I'm with you, but like you said, things will be different this time. I've learned a lot more". Ed took a step backward from the cold steely stare that Roxanne gave him and felt a chill go up his spine. After a few more steps backward he turned and left the Greenhouse. Roxanne continued to stare at the door then muttered, "The prick"

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 3rd Entry:

Lucky watched from the window as Ed filled the car trunk with food, blankets, camping gear and some homemade weapons. It was dark and Ed was using a small lantern but Lucky could tell what the supplies were. Once Ed turned down the lantern and settled into his cot for the night Lucky walked back to join Roxanne on her porch.

"Well?" she asked

"Yeah, he's loading it up now."

"He's not going to skip out on us Lucky", Roxanne said. "He's not that brave and wouldn't know where to go. Hell, if we had to leave out of here real fast I wouldn't know where to go. Never thought about it. Always had Dollywood in mind and never thought past that. Here," she handed him a bottle of whiskey that was half consumed. "Don't know if it's still any good or not. I found it in the Groundskeepers desk."

Lucky took the bottle and looked at it for a moment. He took the top off and smelled it then sampled a swallow. Roxanne waited until he stopped coughing and asked, "What went down between the 2 of you on the road? Ed needs a protector. Why would he want to dump you?"

Lucky tried to clear his throat without success so he threw caution to the wind and took another swallow. "You traveled with him Roxanne. You know his antics. The first time he returned after driving off because a walker was near the car, I pulled him out of that car and put him in a store where I knew there was a walker. Oh, I stayed in the store with him so the walker wouldn't bite him, but while he was running around screaming I told him if he ever did that again that I would lock him in a room with a walker. That I would take the car and not look back and never give him the pleasure of shooting him in the head. I didn't have trouble with him pulling off after that, but a few times I did get back in the car to find he had puked because a walker was near the car. Between the puke, his sweat from fear and pissing his pants the smell never did leave that car. Glad to be rid of it."

Roxanne was sitting in a rocking chair and she had been slowly rocking during Lucky's story. Because it was so dark Lucky barely caught the movement that she was nodding in agreement. "Do you know that Ed never mentioned you, although I did notice that he wore a wedding band? Said he was with a group and that they became separated. Wasn't until that first night here when you locked us up in the shed and he knew who you were that I made him tell me about it. He said you were weak and a hindrance to him and that you had almost gotten him killed several times because of your stupidity. Sounded more like he was describing himself. That third night when I told him that you weren't with a group he wanted us to rush you. But, like I said, I knew he'd be mad until the next morning."

"So to answer your question," he continued, "I guess he wants revenge for making him live with that fear each time I went on a run. I don't think he's a danger to us though, except for doing stupid things like turning on the Ferris wheel. I don't think he'll come after either one of us because even in his warped mind he knows he needs us. But if others join us and there happens to be some disgruntled characters among them Ed will quickly switch sides."

*** ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 4TH ENTRY:

The 3 of them were continuing to work on the inner barrier when Roxanne stood up and said, "Wait… Stop... Listen". Lucky and Ed froze in their places tools still in their hands. After a pause Ed said, "I don't hear anything Roxie."

"I could have sworn that I heard a car engine." They continued to stand still, waiting but no one could pick up any unusual sounds. Finally Ed said, "Sound travels in these hills. Could be anywhere."

"I say that we stay on alert today," Lucky said checking his gun. "If Roxanne said she heard something then I trust her judgment. She's been here longer than we have and knows what sounds are unusual to the place."

"Still, I'd feel better if I crawl under the bus and check out the peephole to the front gates," Roxanne said. "I'll send Mutt back if I see anything."

From under the bus Roxanne could only see the tires of Ed's abandoned vehicle, the ground surrounding it and that portion of the lot that a car would enter. Everything was clear from this angle. She did not see any additional cars of the legs of anyone walking around. After crawling out from under the bus Roxanne put the ladder up against the hill covering the tunnel and climbed up with her rifle. From here her view was of the parking lot and surrounding trees, but the heavy woods kept her from seeing beyond that. She could see only a portion of the road further out, but it was only a small section. She carefully looked around for any movement in the foliage, for any sight, sound or smell that shouldn't be there. She paced to her left and scanned the mountainside that she had used when she first arrived. Then she walked over to her right and looked down into the ravine bordering the west side of the park.

Cami and Brandon knelt further down into the brush. "Do you see that?" Cami whispered, "Only 1 guard. Must not be a large group."

"Yeah", Brandon said, "and a female guard at that."

Cami glared at him, "What the hell does that mean?"

"Sorry", Brandon looked away, "Keep forgetting that there are women like you Cami. No disrespect."

They waited until the Roxanne was out of sight but Cami felt that the guard appeared to be alert and looking for something or someone. She wasn't completely certain that they were undetected. "Let's check the rest of the perimeter so we can see what's on the other side of the fence."

Roxanne left the ladder up after she descended feeling that she would be checking the front entrance several times before and after nightfall. She and Mutt walked back to where Lucky and Ed were still working on the inner barrier. "You were gone long enough" Ed whined.

"Didn't see anything, but something doesn't feel right," Roxanne said with concern.

"Roxanne," Lucky said, "The Park is huge. We can't guard it all. If someone is out there they will make themselves known to us."

"So what are you saying Lucky? That we should just stand here in a group where we can easily be picked off," Roxanne's sarcasm was coming through.

Lucky stood up from his digging and leaned on his shovel. "Well if you stand over us with that rifle while we're working they'll think we are your slaves and they won't mess with you," Lucky said with a smile on his face. Roxanne hated it when he got that twinkle in his eye.

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 5TH ENTRY:

After a lunch of Spam, green beans and applesauce Ed left the cafeteria saying that he was tired and was going to take a nap. Lucky and Roxanne watched him leave and turned to each other with a knowing look. "He's going to clear out some more brush so his car can access the logging road," Lucky said.

"Most definitely" Roxanne agreed. "He hasn't checked out that road yet, doesn't know how far it goes or if it's blocked. He wouldn't venture that far from the park or from the gates."

"Do you know where your road leads?" Lucky questioned.

"It obviously a service road and would swing back toward the main road but no, I haven't checked to see if it's blocked."

"Well, while he's busy let's check the gate again to see if more walkers have accumulated and if it's clear we can walk up the road a piece before Ed misses us," Lucky said as he picked up his sharpened pipe.

The Security Office had not been helpful to Roxanne when she first arrived and searched the place. She found a rifle but it appeared that Dollywood was only equipped for shooting wild animals that may encroach too close to the property. The three of them had agreed to only use a gun in an extreme emergency and to adapt to using the pipes that Ed had sharpened into a point although they always wore their holstered guns.

Roxanne picked up her staff and followed him out when they heard several gunshots and Ed screaming. Both ran in the direction that they knew Ed would be working in and were met by Mutt running toward them. They found that there were walkers trying to push thru the fence to get to Mutt while other walkers were slowly surrounding Ed in the brush that he was clearing. Ed had panicked causing most of his shots to go wild, not hitting anything but creating a danger to both Roxanne and Lucky. They heard his cylinder click on empty but he had the presence of mind to pick up his pole while continuing to scream.

Lucky & Roxanne concentrated on the walkers pushing thru the fence. Once the walkers had spotted humans they bunched up trying to push at once. This made it easier for Lucky & Roxanne to kill them quickly by stabbing them in the head but it didn't look as if they would get to Ed in time. After dispensing of the walkers they climbed through the fence opening, pulling out their pistols at the same time. Before either of them could fire off a shot gunfire rang out from the foliage on the opposite side of the road. They froze in their tracks and watched as each of the walkers were carefully picked off with a headshot. Then there was silence.

"We're coming out," a woman's voice said. "Don't know if ya'll are as crazy wild with a gun as he is, but we don't want to be ducking for cover."

"Holster your gun" Lucky whispered to Roxanne, "but keep your hand on the handle."

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 6TH ENTRY:

Roxanne stood at the back door of the bus and watched as each person came through. Ed was standing in the isle while Lucky waited outside the bus to lead everyone to the Admin Bldg. Lucky had been trying to get her to move into the Admin bldg. for a long time, saying it was safer than the cabin. He was now delighted that it would be put to use.

She could hear Ed mumbling behind her, "What's the problem Ed?" she asked.

"How are we going to feed all these people, Roxanne" he whined. Morgan, who was a construction laborer before the ZA was passing Ed and overheard the comment. He stopped and answered, "You don't need to worry about us. We know how to take care of our own."

Then a teenage girl and a boy of about 12 came onto the bus and Ed had more comments, "Damn, we have kids too! What the hell were you thinking, Roxanne? This is a bad move, bad idea!"

By that time everyone was through the bus. Roxanne locked the door and walked up to Ed, "You just keep your mouth shut and your opinion to yourself until we find out more about these people. They saved your life, Jerk" she hissed at him. She regretted that, calling him a Jerk. She didn't want to alienate him at this point since he was still very useful mechanically. He had managed to get a few generators going and knew how to use the welding torch to construct the barrier.

She walked to the Admin Bldg. where Lucky was proudly showing off the offices. "I know it is filled with desks and files right now," he gestured into one of the rooms, "but we can clear that out and each person could have their own room. The Medical Office has some cots we can use but some of you will still need your sleeping bags. The Lobby would make a good meeting place for everyone."

"The Lobby has glass doors," Cami said. Cami was the woman who had called out to them. She was a small black woman but she made up for that by strapping as many ammo belts across her chest that she could carry. "We will need to fortify those".

"Yes", Lucky replied, "We haven't been here that long and there's still so much to do. We can certainly use the help and suggestions."

Roxanne stepped up and announced, "We will show you where everything is and you can get settled in. It's up to your group to decide who gets what room and what is needed for your comfort."

While everyone began wandering through the rooms and making claims Lucky pulled Roxanne aside, "that was rude" he whispered.

"We're not their protector, their leader" she said. "Everyone pulls their weight around here. What talents they have remains to be seen."

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 7TH ENTRY:

It had been an exhausting day for Roxanne and it showed in her body language as she sat in the rocker on her cabin porch. It had been nothing but questions and criticism from the new group on what should have been done or could have been done better. She believed that they had been in a group for so long that they had forgotten how hard it was for a woman to survive alone.

There were 7 of them, most not related and found as stragglers along the way. Gene who appeared to be the leader was married to Sally; they had picked up the black man Morgan and his 12 year old son Caleb in a small town that had been overrun. Brandon was their point man on scouting missions; Cami, a small black woman who equipped herself with enough ammo to invade a small country and KC, a teenage girl with wild hair who they found alone in a K-Mart. She was so traumatized that they had not been able to get her to say more than a few words and had nicknamed her KC since she could not remember her name. She was reclusive but they had seen that she was good in a fight.

The day had started when Roxanne came upon an argument between Ed and Morgan which had probably lingered from Ed's remark of the previous day. "How are we supposed to fix this place up if we don't know what we have for tools?" Morgan was yelling. She intervened and asked what was going on.

"Ed won't let me inside the mechanic bay," Morgan said. Ed glared at Roxanne silently asking her to take his side. "That is Ed's home, Morgan. He lives there, bunks there. You can't ask someone if you can search their home. If you need something just tell Ed and he will let you know if we have such a tool, right Ed?" She glared back but Ed looked away. "RIGHT Ed?" Ed mumbled compliance and shuffled away.

Later Cami approached Roxanne and asked what sections of the park had been left unsearched. Not wanting Cami to know of the back entrance just yet she pointed in the opposite direction and said, "We haven't searched the pavilion, the concert hall, the music hall or the entertainment section. We know there aren't any walkers because they would have heard us by now, unless they are locked in somewhere." Cami said she would get some help and check it out.

"Oh Roxanne", Sally hailed. "Could I ask you to show me the cafeteria and what you have in the pantry? I'm a good cook and it will be nice to cook with propane again." She must have seen Roxanne's look of concern. Pantry or not, food still needed to be rationed. "Oh, we will be contributing" Sally added. "The men are good at hunting."

She met Brandon on the path coming from the bus where he had retrieved more items from their vehicles. "Roxanne, why did you jamb the bus into the tunnel rather than park it outside the tunnel where you could move it out of the way to bring in vehicles? Then move it back against the tunnel when you want to secure the place again. The way you have it now, you've cornered yourself in here with no way out."

Roxanne could feel the exhaustion starting to creep up and her patience wearing thin. "Because I was alone Brandon, without a running vehicle, with only a dog to guide me and I did the best I could." She turned and walked away with Brandon staring after her.

Unknown to her Brandon spoke to Gene and Morgan of this conversation. "I don't think Roxanne likes the idea of taking us in". Gene put his hand on Brandon's shoulder, "This was their home Brandon, and right now I'm sure that they feel we are guests here. Let's walk softly until they get to know us."

Morgan objected, "We can contribute and I can't say that they did a very good job of securing this place."

"Let's not tell them that Morgan. There is only the 3 of them and, let's face it, they've had to deal with Ed." They started laughing but cut it short when Ed walked by.

Lucky walked up to Roxanne's porch and took a seat on the bench beside her rocker, "Very productive day, don't you think?" Roxanne cut her eyes at him but did not give an answer. "OK, this will make you feel better" as he pulled 2 bottles from his satchel and put them before her. "Gin & Tonic, your favorite. And it hasn't been opened so we won't get sick from gut rot."

"Where on earth did you find those?" she asked.

"At the Entertainment Section" he got up to get 2 glasses from the cabin. "Cami and I checked it out and the bar hasn't been touched."

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO 8TH ENTRY:

Morgan realized why Roxanne and Lucky had kept Ed around when Ed managed to start the bus. He had been working on it for 2 days but only grumbled when anyone asked him about his progress. There had been a group meeting and everyone agreed that the entrance could not be permanently blocked, thus impeding a speedy exit if necessary. The bus loudly backfired amongst a cloud of smoke and Morgan could hear Ed stripping the gears trying to get the transmission to cooperate. Everyone held their breath as the bus moved a foot, then another and finally they cheered as Ed managed to catch a gear to back the bus out of the tunnel. Morgan couldn't help himself and gave Ed a thumbs-up as he went past. Ed was beaming with his own success and nodded back to Morgan.

Ed waited until everyone drove their car into the park and was about to move the bus across the entrance when Morgan pounded on the door, "Let me in. I'll ride with you and help guide the bus against the wall."

Ed opened the doors but didn't move the bus any further. "I don't know if this is a good idea Morgan. This bus is in bad shape. The clutch is stripped and once I park it we may not be able to move it again. The clutch isn't something they would have parts for in the park. They would have taken the bus into town for something that big."

"Well" Morgan replied, "We can't leave the entrance open. Let's just follow the instructions we were given and let the group know tonight what your suspicions are." Later that day Morgan saw Gene and gave him a heads-up on the potential problem with the bus.

"There must be another entrance" Gene said. "A place this big would have a separate road for deliveries."

"Well, didn't you say that you found Ed clearing out brush to access a road?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, but that was just a dirt road and not much of one. Was probably used for utility purposes like the power lines. Could even be a logging trail or a dirt bike trail. Not something I would want the cars on. We'll bring it up at council tonight."

Roxanne was directing the cars into places inside their barrier when she saw Ed coming back from parking the bus. "That was a good job you did Ed. Made me proud."

Ed told her of the condition of the bus. "They are gonna bring it up at the council tonight. They're gonna look for another way out."

Roxanne stopped in her tracks, "What?"

"Yeah, I heard Morgan tell Gene about it. Gene said there must be a service road. Don't know why I didn't think of that instead of cutting brush to some dirt trail. Why didn't you think of that Roxanne?"

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 9TH ENTRY:

Roxanne caught up with Lucky before the council meeting and pulled him aside. Those meetings had been awkward since they were conducted by Gene and she did not feel part of their group. She would let Gene conduct his meeting and would give out an answer only when he directed a question to her. Lucky was more comfortable with them but Roxanne had too many secrets to hide including her burning desire in the past to kill Ed. Only Lucky knew of the car outside the gate and Ed was not aware that Lucky knew of his secret car.

She pulled Lucky aside and said, "I'm feeling boxed in here. How far do we go withholding information or giving misinformation?"

Lucky gave her a confused look, "what do you mean? I haven't been withholding information, have you? Although I noticed that you are rather withdrawn from the conversation at the meetings."

"Ed overheard Morgan and Gene talking about finding a service road, a back entrance and we haven't told them of the car that we have stashed outside the gates. Also, I've been sheltering Ed from them finding out about his car" Roxanne said.

"I'd completely forgotten about our car with all the excitement around here so I don't think it will come across as hiding anything from them. If they ask us about a back entrance we tell them the truth. In fact we could use their help if the road needs to be cleared. We haven't checked and if any trees are down or portions of the road have been washed away we will need extra hands to clear it. As far as Ed's car, they have plenty of their own so I don't think there is a need to mention it. If they discover it I'll act just as surprised as they since Ed thinks he has been successful in hiding it from me. Are you worried as to Ed's reaction when the subject comes up about a back entrance?" Lucky asked.

Roxanne shook her head, "He never asked me what happened back in that town and never told you that he had been traveling with a wife. He has seen that I have changed but I wouldn't want to air our dirty laundry in front of the council".

"Roxanne everyone is beginning a new life in this unknown world. Why start out with lies and deceptions?" Lucky questioned.

She smiled, "That's the point Lucky. People can be whoever they want to be, whatever they want to be. And I chose not to be Roxanne Carter, wife of Eddie Carter and right now they don't know that we are married."

Lucky's face lit up in a big grin, "OK, I can understand that. And I know that they will find it curious that you are not sharing quarters with him or that I am spending a lot of time on your front porch at night." He reached out for her hand and she was surprised at how comfortable she felt in putting her hand in his. "If the subject of a back exit comes up we tell them of the service road and our car. To hell with Ed. I would say that you gave yourself a ZA divorce a long time ago."

They turned and walked back toward the compound. When they were out of sight the bushes along the path trembled and KC stepped out onto the path. She stared after them with a smile and an evil gleam in her eye. "Lucky", she repeated over and over again.

Roxanne's Story – Chapter Two – 10th Entry:

There never was a problem at the meeting that night since neither Ed nor KC appeared. Attendance at the meetings was not mandatory and since the group consisted of only 10 people communication was not a problem. But it was an opportunity to gather and exchange ideas and to be among other people as a pretense that the world was normal.

When Gene asked about a back entrance Roxanne openly admitted that she had it locked and that the key was with her. She offered to show him the proper path to access it the next day and volunteered the information that she had a car parked at a distance outside. On that statement Brandon wrinkled his brow and asked, "Outside? Wouldn't it have been better to keep the car inside in case of being overrun by walkers? How do you know that the distance between the gate and the car wouldn't also be filled with walkers?"

"I had it inside the gate at one time" Roxanne answered. "It wasn't the walkers I was concerned about. It was other…other humans. If I thought of this place as a possible shelter, so could others. And humans want what other humans have. If my biggest fear came from that direction then hopefully I could escape to a car that they were unaware of, but if the car was on the grounds they could easily find it."

Brandon nodded, "I see" but he was not satisfied with her answer.

They spoke of sightings of walkers, that they were still manageable but they had noticed an increase and all agreed that it was probably the Ferris wheel that Ed had started which had attracted those in the near vicinity. Hopefully the walkers would start to thin out again. They spoke of taking the Ferris wheel apart and stacking the steel seats as part of the barrier. They could use the steel frame on the fence as stakes if Ed could take it apart.

Although Lucky had a room in the Admin Bldg. he always walked Roxanne back to her cabin after a meeting, which left the group alone to talk about them. "Did anyone notice that Roxanne always uses the word "humans" instead of "people?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah, I caught that," Morgan answered. "Not just this time, but in the past too."

"So what's the problem?" Cami asked.

"The problem" Brandon replied, "is that she doesn't see us as people, she sees us as a species. If the ZA has drained her of all emotion toward mankind then she could see any one of us as 'expendable'." He looked at Sally and Cami, "Have either one of you had a personal talk with Roxanne to get some insight into her inner depth?" They both shook their head.

"I'm not the girl talk kind," Cami said. "I'm not the one to try to get inside Roxanne's head. I think she doesn't trust us yet, probably doesn't trust anyone. She got here alone, began building the place alone, has survived alone and we don't know what she experienced along the way. Hell, we've all been that route, have our own stories. Personally, I don't care to hear any more of them and perhaps Roxanne is the same way. 'Get over it and get on with your life' type of attitude. "

Sally got up and sighed, "I'll see if I can approach her, but I'm not picking up any hostility from her. Withdrawn yes, but depending on how long she's been alone it may just be that she's trying to adapt to having people around again. By the way, anyone know where KC is?"

Roxanne's Story – Chapter Two – 11th Entry:

KC had been watching ED through the only window of the Maintenance Shop. Twice in the past he had caught her watching and ran her off. She slipped away from the others as often as she could, feeling uncomfortable in a group of people. She knew she needed them for protection, but sometimes the chattering of so many people started to swirl around in her head. She couldn't isolate one conversation from another and the meetings after dinner were the worst. Sometimes she would go into the darkest corner and just slump down to get away from it all.

She heard the bay doors open and quickly moved away from the light. "KC, I know you're out there," Ed said. "You been watching for a couple of days and I know you're curious. OK, then. Come on in. I know you want to see what's under the tarp." She debated since no one liked or trusted Ed, but she had noticed that Ed liked to be alone just as much as she did, although he never ventured far from his digs here. She came around the corner of the building so Ed could see her.

"I trust you kid. You and me, we're alike so this will be just our little secret", Ed pointed inside as if he were about to show her something. When KC didn't move he went inside and waited next to the car. He knew she would be curious and he was right as he saw her slide into the light. "This is what you have been wondering about, right?" and he pulled the tarp from the car. He began to slowly walk around the car, caressing it as he went, talking the whole time.

"It's a beauty, ain't it? Got it running, got it fully stocked with supplies, I plan ahead you know? Those others they have plans too, but I don't trust my life in the hands of others. I look out for myself and if their plan falls through I have my own backup plan."

KC had been walking into the garage as Ed spoke, not taking her eyes off the car. "You see, I found a dirt road probably used by loggers or the electric co for the transformers outside the park. I can take you with me." At that KC looked up from the car and at Ed for the first time.

"Yeah, that's it, just you and me babe. But you gotta help me too because I need to clear out some brush to reach that road. That's where you come in," Ed had been edging toward her. "You help me with the brush and I'll take you along," he reached out and attempted to put his arm around KC's shoulder.

KC immediately jumped back to pull her knife in a threatening motion and began to hiss. Ed put his hands up, "Ok, ok I get the message. Don't need to tell me twice. Just being friendly that's all. You think it over, KC. The offer still stands."

KC stopped hissing and still holding her knife she slowly backed out of the shop, never taking her eyes off Ed. Finally she disappeared in the darkness while under his breath Ed did some hissing of his own, "Damn!"

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 12TH ENTRY:

Roxanne and Lucky sat on her porch in silence. There had not been any physical contact between them since Roxanne let Lucky take her hand on the path. She was a complete mystery to him but since he saw the viciousness in which she killed those walkers by the car he knew there was more to Roxanne than she was showing. She never talked about her life before the ZA or her life with Ed on the road. Ed had told him that Roxanne did not come out of the bar that night and that he left because he was sure that she was dead. Since Roxanne was still alive Lucky assumed that she chose that moment to go on her own. Unless she had gotten boxed in by walkers and had to wait it out and Ed was already gone by then. She was a beautiful woman and didn't know it, didn't know how her angelic features could draw a man into those eyes. Eyes that could change in an instant. Eyes that could freeze you out with a cold stare but would soften again if you pushed past the fight that she was having within herself.

"Things went well tonight," he said to break the silence. "Are you going to tell Ed before word gets back to him?"

"No", the moonlight caught her face as she turned to him. "I don't owe him an explanation as I felt I owed you one. Ed knows…"she looked away….."Ed knows that the woman he met on the hill pointing a rifle at him is not the woman he left at the Bar. Perhaps he's afraid of me now," she chuckled.

"He's still wearing his ring; you aren't. Don't you think that accounts for something?" Lucky asked.

"It means he will try to use it against me" she turned to him again. "If the information is useful to someone or if he needs a protector he will try to put claim on me. He thinks he can play me but he's becoming even hesitant on that thought. However, Ed doesn't throw away possibilities if it can be used to his advantage."

"What happened between you two Roxanne?"

"It's just another ZA story Lucky that I don't care to go into," she sighed. "You've been with him on the road. He put me in danger too many times and left me defenseless at the same time. You see this pistol" she patted her holster. "And the rifle I had? I had none of that when Ed sent me into places to scavenger for supplies. He sat in the car with the gun and you already know that he would lock the doors and put the windows up. The simple truth is that unknown to Ed, I learned from other groups how to fight and use a gun in preparation for leaving him and going out on my own." She got up and walked to the door of her cabin. He thought she was retiring for the day rather abruptly but then she paused and leaned down to say in a soft voice, "It was either that or kill him which I came close to several times."

Lucky continued to sit in the chair after Roxanne went into her cabin. He couldn't move. The hairs on the back of his neck were still prickly from the venom in her voice….

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 13TH ENTRY:

Roxanne had guard duty on the wall from 1 – 3 am but she had the advantage of having Mutt with her. They sent 2 people out together on each shift and although it wasn't a failsafe procedure they didn't want to become complacent by the fences. One would stay on the mound over the tunnel and the other would walk the fence line. They knew it was dangerous for anyone to be in the park alone, but no one was to investigate any noise or suspicious sighting on their own. They were to come back to the Admin bldg. and gather everyone to investigate in a group. Roxanne would stay on the mound for an hour then exchange places with Lucky who was walking the fence. No one was to fire a shot unless the danger was inside the fence and other methods of defending yourself were out of the question.

She arrived at the ladder to the mound and softly called out to Morgan that she was coming up. Mutt used the haphazard staircase that Morgan had built just for him. It wouldn't hold a human and probably wouldn't be standing for very long, but Mutt was able to manage jumping from one structure to another to get to the top. "Everything OK?" Roxanne asked when she met Morgan in the darkness.

"Yeah, fog coming in at the tree-line making visibility difficult and it also echoes sounds. Damn spooky if you ask me," Morgan said as he wiped the damp dew from his face. "You should have brought a poncho. This mist goes right through your clothes and makes them stick to your skin. Strange night," he said as he was descending the ladder. "I don't feel good about it at all." Then he disappeared into the darkness.

Roxanne usually sat cross-legged on the mound but her clothes were already sticking to her and she knew the ground would be wet so she stood while Mutt sat at her feet. She kept an eye on him in case he showed signs of detecting something in the fog. He sat like a King on his throne, jaws shut and ever so slowly turning his head from side to side as if he wanted to remember every twig and rock before him. She smiled at him and resisted the urge to reach down and pet him, afraid that she would disturb his concentration.

She had been walking the mound for perhaps half an hour when she thought she saw a light moving in the woods. She froze, waiting to see if it was dappled moonlight breaking through the fog and then went down on her belly in a swift motion. Mutt also flatted beside her and snorted looking in the same direction. She used the scope on the rifle but it only brought the fog in closer and did not help her visibility. She finally looked over the scope and could tell that it was definitely someone with a flashlight moving among the trees.

Mutt nudged her arm with his snout but did not make a sound. "Shhh, they don't know that we're here. Let's keep it that way," whereupon Mutt flattened further putting his chin on the ground. The flashlight went out at the edge of the forest where it gave way to bushes lining the circle of the turn-around parking lot. Roxanne knew the person was standing or crouching there watching for any movement on the mound. Her clothes were soaked through, her socks were wet in her shoes but the biggest annoyance was the dew running down her forehead and dripping into her eyes. She was afraid to move to wipe it away to get a better view.

Finally the boy stepped into a patch of moonlight that had briefly broken through the fog, and headed for the bus. "What the hell?", Roxanne thought as she recognized Caleb with a rabbit dangling in one hand and his crossbow in the other. He opened the back door to the bus which squeaked like hell, and quickly got in. Roxanne got up to sprint to the other side of the mound and saw him exit the tunnel. He waited; listening then put the flashlight back on and followed the path to the Admin Bldg.

Roxanne sat down putting her arms around Mutt and said, "What was that all about Mutt?" His answer was to lick her face, glad that she hadn't shot the boy. She began to chuckle, "Did he bribe you with the promise of bringing you back a rabbit? I thought you knew where everyone was at all times you traitor." She looked away to see the lamp of Lucky approaching from the fence-line. "I'll have a talk with that young boy in the morning."

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 14TH ENTRY:

The next morning Sally was bitching that the person who had so kindly supplied the rabbit could at least have given her some warning rather than the fright she received when she found it in the sink. No one would own up to it but Roxanne caught Caleb's eye before he turned away. As they were walking out to dispose of any walkers that had gathered against the fence during the night Gene remarked on how much he missed not having eggs in the morning.

"I noticed that ducks and geese have settled around the ponds," Cami said. "It takes about 30 days for eggs to hatch so we could have eggs up to that time."

"Wish we could find some chickens or wild turkeys," Gene said. "I'd keep them alive just for the eggs."

"I found some vegetable seeds in the landscaping dept.," Roxanne volunteered. "Anyone know anything about planting? Now would be the time to start doing it." Morgan said that he would take a try at it and then they all became busy killing the 10 or so walkers at the fence.

"When I first arrived here there weren't any walkers" Roxanne said when they finished. "After Ed started the Ferris wheel a few started drifting in but that was weeks ago. Yesterday we had 20, the day before 15. I think it is the noise we're making by fortifying this place and they all seem to be coming from this section that Ed was clearing. I wonder where this dirt road leads."

Gene asked Roxanne if she had checked her car parked outside the grounds since Ed started the Ferris wheel. She had only checked it that once and decided to show them the location. If walkers were still accumulating there she would have the advantage of their help to clear them out. Morgan decided to check on those seeds that Roxanne had mentioned and Lucky had taken a double shift last night so he was sleeping in. Gene, Brandon, Cami and Roxanne followed the overgrown path to that section of the park, going over a small bridge that managed to survive neglect and through a small tunnel that appeared to be a bike trail at one time.

As they exited the tunnel Gene stopped and said, "Jesus, I didn't know this was back here."

"It appears to have been a zoo at one time," Roxanne said. "Perhaps a petting zoo. From what I can tell the mountain side is divided up into sections. I'm sure there are parts that I haven't discovered yet with the paths being so overgrown and the collapsed rides could be blocking our view of other storage areas. It's amazing how fast the mountain is taking its land back. Sorry Gene, no chickens in the coop" she smiled as she saw him checking some of the animal sheds. It was the first time they had seen a smile from her and it gave Brandon some hope that Roxanne was still able to relate to other people.

They continued thru the brush until they came to the broken concrete road that Roxanne had used to bring the car around. The road followed the fence at this point which was free of walkers. Mutt started to growl but they were already alerted to the moans up ahead and were taking up their steel poles in both hands in preparation.

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 15TH ENTRY:

The walkers became agitated and aggressive when they spotted the group. Most were in bad condition and looked as if they hadn't eaten in a long time but there were approximately 20 of them and only 4 in the group. They were able to kill most of them thru the fence but had the same problem that Roxanne had earlier with the bushes. They tried several times to lure those to the gate where they would be able to pick the walkers off thru the fence but a few were stubborn and didn't move. "Maybe they're stuck on something," Cami said. "We will need to go outside the fence for those last 6."

Roxanne took the rawhide with the key off her neck and began to unlock the gate. "Is that the only key?" Gene asked.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told Lucky," Roxanne looked up at him, "You can take it off my dead body if you need to." She missed the looks that passed between the 3 behind her as she told Mutt to stay within the fence and not come out.

She hung the lock on the fence and pushed one side of the gate out and approached the nearest walker. She had learned that going for the head of a walker with her sharpened pole didn't always work if the walker made a sudden move so she had changed her tactics and began to stab them in the chest throwing them to the ground and then using her pickaxe to crush the skull. She used this method and then pole stabbed the next walker, pushed him into another walker to knock them both down at once then axed both. This was the first time they had seen Roxanne in the action of killing a walker other than behind a fence. Realizing that they were staring they suddenly jumped into action to help her.

Brandon took out the water bottle and passed it around while they were walking up the road toward her car. The deterioration of the road was quickly turning it into just a lane. Part of it had eroded from rain water rushing down the mountain and was just loose gravel. Part of it was still concrete, but also patches of mud and saplings breaking through the ground.

"You said you never checked the rest of the road to see if it was clear," Brandon said, "Do you know where it goes?"

"I think it is the road I was coming in on but I ran out of gas 10 miles out and cut thru the woods," she answered. "There were a few houses along the way but I didn't check any of them. I never saw any walkers on that last stretch. I don't know where they are coming from."

They rounded a curve and Roxanne saw the car was still there under the tarp and dried brush she had covered it with. "Nice camouflage but wouldn't work since everything else is so green this time of year," Brandon said. They uncovered the car then Roxanne got in to retrieve the key from the ashtray and managed to start it on the 2nd try. "I can understand you parking it out here when you were at the park alone, afraid of being taken by hostiles, but I prefer that we park it inside the gate" Brandon continued. "We can't protect it out here, Roxanne. If you were on this road then others could come in this way too. Even inside the gate it's still a long run from the Admin buildings to this end of the park and would be even harder to get to if the car was surrounded by walkers. Would you agree to that Roxanne?"

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 16TH ENTRY:

They drove the car back into the park area but Roxanne made sure she turned it around to face outward for a quick exit if necessary. Cami got out of the car and looked at the walkers they had just killed. "I'm not dragging 20 damn bodies away from the fence. We're far enough away from the Admin buildings that we shouldn't smell them. They can rot there for all I care," she said.

"Roxanne, I don't want you to think that we are naïve," Gene said as they walked back using the road this time and not cutting through the Zoo section of the park. Gene wanted Roxanne to show him how she had brought the car thru the park to the back entrance where she now had it parked. As they walked back he decided to question her on some of her fears and see if he could penetrate that cold shell of hers. "We have run into some small bands that would kill to steal your supplies rather than join us as a group. But we're talking 8 to 10 people and we can handle that. We have lost some along the way but what you see standing before you is the best of what's left. We're not alive because we were the weakest and ran, we're alive because we fought them off. That barrier you have us building is more like you had an army in mind."

Roxanne shook her head, "I was thinking more of a herd."

"A herd?" Cami questioned, "I don't know what you mean by a herd, unless you're talking about the number of walkers in a city. That I've seen and I guess you could call it a herd because of the massive amount of walkers. But we're in the country Roxanne, and should be safe from a herd out here."

Roxanne stopped and turned to look at them. Mutt, who had been running ahead of them turned and came back to her side. "We don't know anything ABOUT these things that we call 'Walkers'. We don't know how long they live or how long we will need to protect ourselves against them. We know they are attracted to noise but have you noticed that one will change direction and the rest will follow? Is it because that walker is a leader, or is it just the blind following the blind? Freshly turned seem to be the strongest and there will always be 'freshly turned'. What happens when they run out of food in the cities? Will they migrate or will they just stand there until they crumble? I see a sea of walkers coming at us one day."

Everyone was silent until she turned away and they all started to walk with her again. "It sounds like you're losing hope Roxanne," Gene said gently, "I chose to think that the world will be normal again. Maybe not in our lifetime because there is so much to rebuild but the technology is still there, the knowledge is still there. I like to think that we still have a government hidden somewhere with scientists working on a vaccine against walker bites. Maybe not a reason yet on why we turn after we die, but a vaccine if you're bitten is possible. Until then I will keep fighting to stay alive and I know you haven't given up because you're still fighting too."

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 17TH ENTRY:

As they approached the rear of the buildings Roxanne stopped once more and turned to them. "Another thing," she said softly since sound seemed to travel in these hillsides. "Ed has another car ready. He does not know of the back gate. You have your own cars so I thought to just let him have his little secret but the back gate is another issue. If we are in harm's way or attacked, Ed will run. He will leave us here to our own defenses and drive for that back gate. If he knows where the key is he will open the gate and just keep driving. With the gates open we could be overrun by a herd of walkers or a gang of hostile people and be ambushed from behind. Ed is devious and thinks of his own skin. He is loyal to no one."

"That may be difficult to do, Roxanne", Brandon answered. "We would always need to watch what we say around him or watch our activities if we go to that portion of the park. Wouldn't it be better to just deal with him now and get our point across? I think the three of us," he motioned to Gene and Cami behind him, "would be able to get our point across if we approach him right." Brandon finished his last remark with a smile that Roxanne did not misinterpret.

She sighed and continued to walk the last distance toward the admin buildings, "If you want to handle it fine. I'm through dealing with him. We kept him because he is good with mechanics and welding and he has improved the living conditions here. I'm just passing on the information that he cannot be trusted and will abandon you at a critical point when you are counting on him. He doesn't have your back."

They continued the remaining walk in silence but Brandon still wasn't comfortable with the arrangements of the car and gate in the back lot. He told Cami and Gene of what he was thinking and with their approval he went looking for Lucky. He found Lucky pumping water from the well outside Roxanne's cabin. It was the only working well on the property and construction had actually accessed an underground spring to complete the authenticity of the cabin. Although Ed had managed to get a couple of generators started they did not use them for showers since they had not had time to investigate the fuel tanks on the property.

"Morning, Lucky. Sorry you had to pull that double-shift last night," Brandon said.

"No problem," Lucky said as he pulled the water bucket from the well and filled a container. "I heard Roxanne was taking you to the back gate and showing you how your cars would access the exit. Did she show you where she stashed the backup car?" he asked.

"Yeah, we moved the car inside the gate, covered it with the tarp and Roxanne put the key in the ash tray. She was OK with that. But there's still the matter of the key to the gate Lucky, and we feel that we have pushed Roxanne enough for today. She…." Brandon hesitated, "She is still somewhat of a mystery to us." Lucky started to laugh and set the bucket down. "She's been very forthcoming with us today" Brandon continued, " showing us the hidden path thru the zoo, where the car was hidden and letting us move it back in, then taking us to the service road that goes behind the buildings," Brandon said. "She even told us that Ed has a car stashed in his facility."

On that last remark Lucky raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms while he sat on the well, "Oh, did she?"

Brandon nodded then continued, "But there is still the matter of the gate key around her neck. I approached her on it but she said something about taking it off her dead body."

"Yeah," Lucky got up and connected the bucket to the rope and started to lower it into the well again, "I heard the same thing from her. Sometimes I think she was around…." he paused almost saying that Roxanne had been around Ed too long but he was sure that Roxanne had not mentioned that relationship to Brandon. "I think she was around some devious people too long and picked up some of their habits. She is very distrustful but she's a good person. We are all casualties of the ZA but sometimes I see a very gentle person hidden in there, if just briefly."

Brandon nodded his head in agreement, his eyes wandering off into the distance as if he was remembering how things were with him once. "You appear to be closer to her than anyone else so far, Lucky," he continued. "Do you think you could approach her about putting the gate key in the ashtray of the car so it is accessible to everyone? We understand that this isn't to be mentioned to Ed, although if it becomes burdensome Roxanne said we could approach Ed in our own way."

"Wow," Lucky said when he realized that Roxanne had basically given the new group her permission to beat the crap out of Ed. "She has been full of surprises today. I'll see what I can do Brandon."

ROXANNE'S STORY – CHAPTER TWO – 18TH ENTRY:

The next morning Caleb said that he would like to get in some practice with his crossbow and asked if the others would let him kill the walkers at the fence. Morgan, Cami and Roxanne went with him to see how many walkers had gathered at the fence during the night. Roxanne was relieved to see that it was only five since the increase of walkers had started to concern her. Morgan said they would wait while Caleb handled those 5 but Caleb objected to their presence saying that he wasn't in any danger on this side of the fence.

"We still need to go outside the fence to retrieve your arrows if you miss any walkers," Morgan said. "You only have 7 arrows left Caleb and I'm not letting you go outside the fence by yourself."

Roxanne could see that Caleb was nervous so she spoke up hoping that she wasn't interfering with a father/son relationship. "Tell you what" she said, "I've always wanted to see a crossbow in action so why don't you and Cami go back and I'll stay with Caleb. I'll make sure the coast is clear before we go outside the fence. Is that agreeable to everyone?"

Morgan nodded his head, "That's OK with me. Caleb is that comfortable with you?" They could see a struggle within Caleb but he finally agreed. They didn't know that Caleb was afraid of Roxanne and that she made him nervous. She was pretty like one of his nicest teachers in school but Roxanne's mannerisms were completely different from that person. Roxanne was aloof, distracted and always seemed to be hearing something that no one else did, as if she was always on guard or knew what was going to happen. It freaked him out and he knew he would be disastrous at hitting anything.

After the others left Roxanne sat on a bench that Cami used to stand on when she killed walkers. Cami said it gave her an advantage to be looking down on them. Caleb took his stance, let out his breath and tried to calm himself, but the shot went wild when the walker moved. His second shot hit the fence and bounced off. If he didn't get the next 5 shots then Roxanne would need to kill the walkers with her stake. He heard her softly call to him and reluctantly turned around.

"Caleb, come here and sit beside me for a minute" she asked while patting the bench.

'Shit,' he thought, 'another adult lecture. You can do it, blah, blah, blah.' He plopped down on the bench as if he had just been told that he couldn't have his PlayStation that night.

Roxanne rested her elbows on her knees and looked off into the distance. "Do you know why I sent the others off?" He shook his head glad that she wasn't looking him in the eye. "There were so many times I would go into a hardware store or sports store while scavenging and see a crossbow. All I had was a pickaxe which meant I needed to get up close and personal to kill a walker. I was so scared, Caleb." This startled Caleb to hear. He became very still and stopped fidgeting. He couldn't believe that Roxanne had ever been afraid.

"I would see those crossbows but never took one because I didn't know how to use it. I starved so many times because I couldn't get close enough to kill a rabbit or squirrel with a pickax and I could see wildlife all around me yet I was useless." She finally looked over at him but still didn't straighten up. "I wanted to stay behind with you because I'd like for you to teach me how to use a crossbow. I don't ever want to be that hungry again."

"But this is a Junior Crossbow," Caleb said, "and I'd been taking classes for a year before…..before" he let the sentence trail off. "I was good too and it was the first thing I grabbed when we had to evacuate. But I found shooting a moving target was completely different especially when the target wants to kill you. I know you need to shoot them in the head to kill them but when they're coming at you I…..I guess I panic and either I miss or I hit them in the chest. Dad says to stop beating myself up because I'm only 12."

Roxanne straightened up and looked at the walkers still at the fence, "You're not 12, you're more like 14." She looked back at Caleb, "because a 12 year old would not go out into the night with the threat of walkers to bring back a rabbit."

Caleb went red all over and felt his heart drop. "You saw that?"

She nodded. "You teach me to use the crossbow and I won't tell your father but only this once Caleb. If I see you out there again the deal is off. I won't be taken advantage of Caleb. During training I'm your pupil but I won't cover for you like a kid who has slipped out on his parents and wants to use me as an alibi. Do we understand each other?"

He nodded, "Yes. Is the training a secret?" Roxanne smiled. It was the first time he had seen her smile. She was becoming more human to him after their talk and he found he was more comfortable around her now.

"No, Caleb the training isn't a secret. I don't care how many people know even if I suck at it. What if we set up some targets, maybe paint something on the side of my cabin and meet for an hour after dinner every night?" The thought excited Caleb. "OK, then let's see what you can do with the last five walkers and then we'll retrieve the 2 you already used. They'll be wondering about us soon."

END OF CHAPTER TWO