Hey guys, I got a good start on that essay and just had an energy drink, so I'm gonna try and write another chapter which, as I promised to a few of my reviewers, will give some backstory.
For those of you who caught on to T-Dog's absence, it shall all be explained.
Just a gentle reminder, I own nothing in this story.
Lori and Taylor stepped out of the RV. "She's fine." Lori said shortly, giving a pointed glance at Daryl who seemed unnerved by her attitude.
"Well now that that's out of the way," Dale said, breaking the brief tense silence, "We need to find a place to set up camp for the night, preferably a bit out of the way. The highway can't be safe in this light..." His eyes trailed towards the sky, where the glorious sunset had faded into pitch black. Since the power went out across the country, the night had gotten darker due to the cities no longer lighting the night.
"He's right. Taylor, ride in the RV for now. Do you have a sleeping bag or something?" He asked, eyeing her backpack.
"Erm...No. I've just kind of been car-hopping, mostly sleeping on the tallest car I can find. Not saying I slept well, but I couldn't get my hands on one before landing." Taylor shrugged it off. "I can find something, don't worry."
"I have an extra sleeping bag, my husband's..." The bald woman spoke for the first time, offering a small smile. Taylor smiled.
"I'd be very appreciative if you would lend it to me, even just for the night." Taylor responded, returning the smile with a bit more enthusiasm than she had intended. The woman just nodded before ushering her daughter, still clutching the can to her chest, back to the Jeep. Rick nodded to Dale before taking his son by she shoulder and following the pair, his wife trailing slightly behind.
"Do you mind if I hop in the RV with you guys?" Shane asked suddenly. "It's a little cramped in the Jeep, with the kids and all." Glenn nodded in agreement Andrea and Dale exchanged glances. "Sure," Dale finally concluded, "Just don't go trying to shoot everything that moves, unlike this one over here..." He made a vague gesture in Daryl's direction, who was already mounting his motorcycle.
"Just cause you ain't ever seen a walker dog, don't mean they don't exist. Rather kill every mutt we come across than be killed by one just cause you ain't ever seen one." Daryl replied, starting his engine.
"Pure bred." Taylor said simply before opening the door to the RV and climbing in herself, coaxing Lucky in after her. "Mind if I use the washroom?" She asked Dale while he was adjusting the drivers seat, Andrea taking shotgun.
"Go right ahead." Dale said before attempting to start the engine which sputtered in response. "Damn thing!" He declared, hopping out of his seat and back out the door, popping the hood once he was outside.
"Let me help!" Glenn called, following right after. Taylor thought it best not to interfere, considering her knowledge about cars was basically non-existent, instead heading towards the washroom, passing by a bedroom without a glance. Finishing her business quickly, washed her hands with sanitizer ('They must have a good scavenger in their group,' she thought to herself). When she opened the door, she was faced with the barrel of a gun, causing her to jump.
"The fuck are you?" The man asked. He looked like he had just woken up, his eyes still foggy from sleep. His dark skin was stained with sweat.
'Must've been a nightmare,' Taylor thought to herself. 'Probably why he's so jumpy...'
"Taylor," she managed to squeak out, her hands slowly raising in the air. "I'm...uhm...a stray, I suppose."
Shane, having heard the conversation, popped his head out from the front of the RV. "Lori checked her, T-Dog. She's fine, a little worn, but not bitten or infected. She'll be traveling with us for the time being." Lucky looked up from his place on the floor, unsure of how to respond.
The man lowered his weapon, letting out a breath. "Sorry," he apologized, holstering his weapon. "In this day and age, can't be too careful can you?" He offered his hand. "I didn't notice Shane was here, or else I wouldn't have..." He shook his head.
Taylor shook her head, still a little startled. "Yeah, I understand." She said, shaking his hand.
"I hate to be so prying, and I never thought I'd say this..." Shane said from the front, "Bur Daryl does have a point. We haven't come across any survivors in a while. Where are you coming from?"
Taylor sighed. "Mind if I sit down?" She asked, gesturing to the small bed. T-Dog nodded. "Well," Taylor began, placing her hands on her knees, "First, you have to know I'm a flight attendant. I was in Toronto when this all broke out, suppose to be coming back here and taking a bunch of people with us. When...the virus, or God's wrath, whatever you want to call it started spreading, my pilot got a bunch of us stewardesses together..."
"This isn't good." They sat in the break room at Pearson, the door locked. "These reports are insane, but if they're accurate..."
"How're we suppose to board passengers like this? We have to check them for bites or scratches, we can't risk having on infected in a group of people..." Penny, one of her co-workers blurted. She had obviously been crying, here eyes puffy and red. "But...Even then, if we miss one little thing we're all doomed."
Chris, the pilot, wrung his hands together. "We need fuel." He said simply. "We need to get out of here. Out of Canada, the US. We can go somewhere, like Hawaii. Maybe Aruba. Maybe it hasn't spread there..." The reports had been inconclusive, no one knew which places (if any) around the world were safe.
"Where are we going to get that?" Amanda speaking this time. "Think about it; all these rich people with private jets. They'll take the fuel, buy it if currency still matters, fly to wherever they need to go."
Chris stood up and began pacing the room. "Yes, but we have something that these small little private jets don't..." He said, a spark of hope suddenly in his eyes.
"What?" Taylor asked eagerly. She'd seen a woman attack her husband earlier, in the middle of the airport...Security had done their best to cover it up, but these was no mistaking the woman had definitely bit him. No one knew why, the idea not yet coming to light, only widespread panic and vain attempts at treating them as isolated incidents. No one wanted to connect the dots, not then.
The world had gone to shit less than 8 hours later.
"We have space for people to come with us, not like these small 4 person planes these rich bastards buy." Chris finally concluded. "We make a deal; fuel for space on our plane."
"So Chris made a few discreet calls to some airports. Atlanta was the only one that accepted our offer. We offered the fuelling guys space on our plane for them and their families in exchange for a tank full of fuel. They were smart enough to take the offer."
Chris clicked his cellphone shut. "Now, we load up the plane with anyone who wants to go to Atlanta. If we're going to waste the fuel, we might as well bring some people with us and drop 'em off."
Taylor shook her head. After incidents started coming to light through the media in the hundreds, most had thought better than going to the airport; you'd think the opposite, but they had enough sense to know crowds were a bad idea. There were maybe 50 people in the airport, mostly employees unsure of what to do.
"They'll have to be okay with strip searches. That has to be a condition, Chris. We can't risk someone going mad on the plane." Chris nodded.
"Small price to play."
"The worst was when we found someone with a bite and had to turn them away. They begged. I would too..."
"I'm sorry," Taylor told the woman, a bite mark on her upper arm. "I can't let you on the plane, you'd be a risk for the other passengers." Taylor's heart broke with every word.
"Please," the woman asked, her blue eyes brimming with tears. "I can't stay here, you can't make me stay here! I'm fine, I swear! It's not deep! I feel fine!" Tears started rolling, smudging her carefully applied make-up, into her chestnut hair immaculately curled. The image of perfection contaminated by death.
"Go be with your family," Taylor urged, turning away and going onto inspect the next person, "I truly am sorry, ma'am."
"YOU LYING BITCH!" The woman roared, suddenly furious. "You're not sorry; you get a free ride out of here, all because of your job! You probably want the space for yourself!"
"I'm so sorry." Taylor said, a tear falling from her eye. "But please, go be with your family. I can't do anything about it. Captains orders."
The door to the RV suddenly opened, startling Taylor back into the present. "It should be able to run for a little while," Dale stated, "but we're going to need a new hose soon. Can't keep going like this."
Everyone nodded as Dale started the engine, but Shane wanted to know more.
"So why' you stay behind then, if you had fuel and a spot on the plane?" Dale and Glenn, for not having heard the first half of the story, seemed eager to listen despite it.
"My twin brother lives in Columbus, and his wife was 8 and a half months pregnant when this thing started..."
"Captain," Taylor opened the door to the cock-pit, sticking her head in. "I'd like to have a word, if it's not too much trouble."
"No, no..." Chris sighed, incredibly composed despite the chaos that the world had gone to. "Sit, please." Chris' co-pilot had been bitten in Toronto, and resolved to stay instead of risking the rest of the crew.
"I want you to leave me in Atlanta." Taylor stated simply. Chris gave her a dumbfounded look.
"Taylor," He sighed again, clearly agitated. "This thing isn't going to blow over. As much as the people want to believe the army is going to take care of them...Taylor, 10 hours ago the world was fine. Eight hours later we're strip searching our passengers for bite marks. It's going to get worse and worse faster and faster. At least if we get away, we have a shot."
"Chris, my brother, his wife..."
Chris rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I have my wife, Taylor. You think I don't want to go back to her? But the world isn't that place anymore. You have to let your loved ones go..." Chris suddenly turned, furious. "The hell are you going to go anyway? Anything that's going to happen had probably already happened. Even if they ARE working on a cure, how long before it's ready, Taylor? You can't save them..."
"This isn't about saving them!" Taylor shouted, suddenly furious. "I can't live not knowing, damn it! At least if I know, I can live knowing I tried! I can't sit on a beach knowing my brother and his wife and his unborn baby may still be alive in this hell hole!"
"So you join them in the hell hole, Taylor?" Chris shouted right back.
"That's family. I don't expect you to understand, but you can't stop me either way Chris." Taylor turned, her mind made up.
"Taylor," Chris' voice was quiet now, controlled. "If...If you're really going to do this..." He sighed, pressing a button on the dash before standing. From under his chair he pulled a long, black box. "Seeing as how we have half our security people on this plane..." He spoke while opening the box, "It wasn't hard to get this on board." From the box he pulled a long, sharp machete. "Take it." He held it out to her.
"Chris..."
"You're naive if you think this is all I brought with me." Chris encouraged. "I've got more things, don't worry. But I think this will help the most. Just remember, aim for the head. That's what all the reports say."
"Wow." Glenn said. "I didn't realize how insane air transport had become in those few hours."
"Yeah," Taylor shook her head. "But it got me back here, and that's all I needed."
"Looks like Daryl thinks this is a good place." Dale said, interrupting. "He's pulled over. Come on, let's get set up." He looked towards the back. "Let Andrea sleep, she's been through..." Dale simply shook his head while exiting the RV.
Taylor turned, seeing the blond girl curled up on the bed. "Come on," Glenn encouraged. "Setting up tents always takes the longest."
"I'll help." Taylor offered. "Can't promise I'll be any good, but I'll try."
"That's all we need." T-Dog offered, smiling a bit.
Alright guys, I'm pooped. Off to bed with me!
Reviews are always welcome! I promise I'll write more about Daryl and Taylor next chapter, I just wanted to establish some character first, not just jump into it!
Thanks guys!