Jake's POV
The next morning they were both awake as soon as the sun came up over the horizon. Alex had slept in her sleeping bag right next to Jake, curled up against his side, and had actually slept well, not tossing and turning in her sleep at all. Jake, however, had stayed up for hours, running her words over and over in his head, concerned about what they meant.
"What you and I say goes, there can't be any debate on that. If it looks like someone is gonna have a problem with that, I'll take care of it. It's our way or the highway. No exceptions."
She'd sounded as if she were reciting a creed. Her words lacked emotion. Alex made it clear that she would handle anyone that disagreed with them about what to do on their property. What did that mean she would take care of it? Take care of it how? He had been concerned when he returned to the grave and seen all the blood on her arms and clothes and her hair chopped off. He didn't make a big deal out of it though because she was grieving and everyone did that in their own way. Alex tended to get cold and mechanical when she had to deal with death, so this reaction wasn't all that surprising, but it still concerned him.
"No exceptions." Her voice echoed through his mind, the icy certainty that she'd spoken with was menacing. Not to Jake directly, but certainly to anyone that might disagree with her. He hoped that she would relax in the coming days, maybe once Tim and Billy were around full time she would be more trusting, after she saw that people could be trusted. He hoped that she wouldn't cut herself off from everyone before she got a chance to see how they fit in at the Lazy H. They really did need more people.
He tried to put his concern for Alex aside and focus on the task at hand - they needed to pack up, eat something and head to town to meet up with the Jenkins boys and get Alex checked out by the doc. He rolled up his sleeping bag as Alex went behind the bushes to relieve herself. They hadn't said anything since waking; he wasn't sure what to say, so he just kept his mouth shut. After her day yesterday, he was afraid of saying something that would set her off and make her stop talking again. He couldn't stand it when she wouldn't talk. It always made him feel so helpless, whatever was wrong with her was on the inside and he couldn't do shit about it other than to just be there for her.
"So, what do you think, should we take two trucks in case we need to bring anything back with us today," Alex asked as she stepped out from the bushes buttoning her jeans. Jake could have sworn that she actually looked happy. Like a totally different person than the day before. Maybe this was a good thing. Jake had his doubts though.
"Guess so. Hadn't really thought 'bout it none. Figured they had trucks an' stuff there, but if we end up havin' ta haul some trailers back it might not be a bad idea. You sure yer up to drivin',"he asked cautiously. He wanted to ask her how her head felt but he didn't want her to feel like he was treating her like a little kid. He'd heard her loud and clear the previous day in the bar with that asshole, Aaron.
"I'm fine to drive, really. Not seeing double, no headache, nothing to worry about," Alex replied.
Jake finished packing up and tossing things in the truck while Alex made sure the fire was totally out. He went over to the fence just to double check it before they left. When he saw the obliterated walker body just beyond the fence he better understood where all the blood on her clothes had come from. She didn't have a struggle with either of them, she had willfully destroyed the corpse, leaving barely more than a pair of shoes and a pile of bone and guts.
Yeah, she was fine alright.
Jake climbed through the fence to see if he could pick up a trail without wandering out of eyesight of Alex. There were plenty of tracks around and they all seemed to head directly towards the Graham's place. They would definitely have to go over there and take a look around. Too many more of those things pushing up against the fence and it would start to weaken or even break. Priority number one when he and the boys came up with a plan would be to clear out the neighboring properties of the dead. They had to keep the fences up at all costs.
Alex's POV
Alex spread the ashes of the fire out and spread the dirt over it, making sure there was no way a breeze could reignite any remaining embers. She made quick work of the job and looked up to see that Jake had wandered over the fence beyond the corpses she'd left there. He was probably looking for tracks. She'd already planned on going to check the Graham's place out before they went into town today.
"Find anything interesting," she called to him as she approached the fence.
"Nah. Jus' looks like all tha tracks head straight ta tha Graham's place. Thought me an' tha boys should go check it out this afternoon while yer gettin' looked at by tha doc," he replied, meeting her at the fence. His voice sounded cautious; like he was afraid she was going to break at the slightest sound. Alex needed to clear that misconception up.
"I'm fine, ya know," she started, pulling the fence wires apart so Jake could climb back through. "I needed some time with it, but I'm okay now. I know what I have to do to make sure we survive, and that's the most important thing. I'm not a kid anymore... I gotta change… we all gotta change to make it now."
Jake stood from climbing through the fence and looked at her like he'd never seen her before, his eyes searching her face for something. He apparently didn't find it when he abruptly looked away, sighing and turning to look back at the corpse she'd totally decimated.
"That pile uh guts there says yer not okay, Al. Or is that tha change yer talkin' 'bout," he rushed out. She could tell Jake was frustrated with her, though she wasn't sure why.
"That was just me venting a little steam. I got pissed cuz I couldn't just sit and stare at the fire in peace. I won't lie, it felt pretty fucking good, and I feel much better today. Maybe you should try it," she joked. Judging by the look on Jake's face, he was not amused.
"I'm just kidding," she offered. "I know it's not funny, but seriously, we have to laugh about this, it's just too fucking absurd. I mean, zombies? Really? I know they used to be people we knew, but now, now they just aren't anything. Nothing but a threat to the things that are important to me. I'm not going to lose sight of that. And you shouldn't either. Especially after those men last night. It's not just the dead we need to plan for. There are going to be other survivors that are going to come try to take this from us. We have to be willing to do whatever it takes to protect us. This," she finished, gesturing around with her arm to indicate the ranch.
"Yeah, yer right, I jus' don' like ya bein' so flip 'bout killin'. It's s'posed to be hard ta pull tha trigger," Jake said as he double checked the covered ashes of the fire.
"It ain't hard when I look at it like it is: us or them? It was easy to kill Molly because I knew it was either her or me. I refuse to see that as a bad thing. I survived to fight another day. Because that's all we've got now, fighting for another day." Alex rubbed her shorn hair, looking at Jake, trying to figure out what he was going to say next. It was weird not knowing what he was thinking.
"Come on, let's get somethin' ta eat so we can get inta town," Jake said, surprising her with his obvious change of subject.
"Alright. But I want to stop at the Graham's on our way in. Shouldn't take too long, then it'll be clear and we won't have to worry so much about this spot of the fence, at least," Alex said as she went to get in the driver's seat of the truck. "Plus, then you and the boys will be free to deal with all the other shit that's gonna go into bringing all the survivors back here."
"We don't know how many walkers are over there, Al. Why run the risk of just the two of us when we can easily go back with four or five people instead?" Alex could tell that he was keeping something from her. He wouldn't make eye contact with her and he kept looking out over the ranch like he was expecting to see something out there. He was starting to make her nervous.
"Why don't you tell me what's really on your mind, Dixon. You took down, what, thirteen of them on your own the other day? Why the sudden lack of confidence in our abilities? What's up with you," she asked him. They had gotten in the truck, but she wasn't driving until she got some sort of answer from him.
"Well, we ain't exactly at full strength, like we were then. Yer hurt, mentally an' physically, an' who knows how many will be waiting for us? I don't wan' ta take tha risk with ya injured. I was so scared yesterday when ya stopped talkin'. Then I find ya with yer hair all chopped off, a bunch uh cuts in yer arm that ya did ta yerself an' a body tha' ya totally tore up jus' cuz yer mad. Yer tellin' me that yer okay, but that's not what tha signs say, Al. I'm worried 'bout'cha." Jake lit a cigarette, taking a long drag as he sat there, staring out the window.
Alex wanted to be angry, she didn't like that Jake was doubting her abilities. But he wasn't wrong, all of those things had happened. She wasn't sure how to convince him that it was okay and that she was ready to move forward. She exhaled loudly, then lit a smoke of her own before replying.
"You're right, I did do all of those things. I did cut myself. Wanna know why? Because I needed to remember. Every single decision that I have to make to keep us safe, I want to remember it forever to remind me of who I am, who we are and why we are fighting. Yes, I chopped off my hair. Why? Because I needed to change. I've had long hair my entire life. But that life is over now, and no matter how much I wish it wasn't, all the things that I have done or will have to do to get by now won't allow me to go back to being that same person. That innocence is gone forever… I'm a killer, and that won't ever change. And as far as the pile of walker guts goes, yes, I WAS angry, for all the reasons I just listed, not to mention the fact that my mom just died and I was covered in her guts. Yeah, that pissed me off. And beating that thing to a bloody pulp made me feel better. I won't apologize for that."
Alex took a long drag off her cigarette and looked at Jake, waiting for his response. When it didn't seem like he was going to say anything, Alex started the truck and began heading back to the house. The ride down the mountain passed in silence.
"'M sorry, Alex," Jake said, as they neared the barn. "Everythin' ya said makes sense, an' I understand ya better now. Yer jus' all I got left, an' I can't help but worry 'bout'cha. Don' know what I'd do if somethin' happened to ya," he finished as they pulled up to the barn.
As they both got out to unload the truck, Alex paused next to Jake, stopping him with her hand on his forearm. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you either. That's why we have to change. We have to be able to protect one another. Hesitation, even just a split second hesitation, could mean the end, and I won't let that happen."
Alex didn't wait for Jake's response. She grabbed the shovels and pick axe and headed for the tool room, making two more trips while Jake dealt with the wheelbarrow. Then they drove to the house in silence.
Once at the house, it didn't take long for them to get something to eat and pack a few things to take into town with them. Alex insisted that they clear the Graham's place before they went into town, so she made sure to get plenty of ammo, double checking their guns and making sure they were ready for anything.
Alex got out her throwing knives, checking each blade for defects from their last use. One of the many things that she'd learned from Jake was the art of throwing knives. He'd taught her when she was about twelve, sometime after she'd had to kill her pet pig. It started out as something fun to do; Alex had been very preoccupied with knives since she slit Mr. Wiggles' throat and Jake offered to teach her more about them. Up to that point she'd always focused on guns, a passion she shared with her father.
But something inside her changed when she felt the knife cut through the pigs' skin like butter, the metallic smell of blood filling her nostrils and lighting a fire in Alex's gut. Alex would never admit it to anyone, but she had enjoyed the power she felt when she slit Mr. Wiggles throat. Alex wanted to know everything there was to know about knives, and Jake was more than happy to teach her. He had been quite impressed with what he called her "natural skills" with the knife and it didn't take Alex long to surpass Jake's own throwing abilities. She'd entered a few knife throwing contests over the years when the rodeo came to town, winning every time. Alex hadn't entered the competition last year because it was no longer a challenge - no one else in the county even came close to her accuracy - and she had gotten bored with it.
Alex strapped the holster for the throwing knives to her right leg, adjusting her hunting knife so it wasn't in the way. She clipped a full ammo pouch to the left side of her belt, then added her boot knife to her left boot. Alex moved around a little to make sure that everything fit comfortably and was secure.
"Looks like yer ready, Rambo. Got anythin' left fer me," Jake teased as he entered the gun room.
"Been awhile since I used 'em, but I figured if I can use them instead of the gun and save on ammo that would be for the best. Still got your old set in here if you want to strap 'em on," she offered. "I've got the boot knife on the left, plus my hunting knife and the 1911 in my waistband. Here," she said as she tossed him another holstered knife.
Jake caught it and fitted it on his belt, adjusting the knife he already had there.
"Think I'll pass on the throwing knives, this'll work jus' fine. Can ya think of anythin' else we might need," Jake asked as he clipped a full ammo pouch to his belt.
"Don't think so. Anything we take with us will just take up room if we need to bring stuff back with us. Not like we're in a hurry to get it all done today. Hell, we don't even know if they're gonna want to move out here. Might as well just stick to the basics, make a second trip if needed," Alex replied.
They finished getting fitted out, then packed everything into Alex's truck and drove to the bunkhouse for Jake's truck. Alex led the way off the property and out to the main road. Things hadn't changed much in the twenty-four hours since they'd last driven the road. There were still plenty of animals wandering around grazing, mainly horses, cows and goats. There were also about a dozen walkers pushing against the fences along the road. Alex stopped, taking out the ones on the right side of the road while Jake handled the ones on the left.
It only took a few more minutes on the main road to reach the correct driveway. The Graham's had once run a small organic milk farm, but nowadays they only kept what they could use and barter to a few neighbors - a couple milk cows, goats, chickens and pigs.
It had been years since the place had required the help of hired hands, so it was a little surprising to Alex to see so many walkers wandering around the place - there were dozens of them. The majority of them were fenced in the pasture behind the barn that led up the mountain. Alex looked through the scope of her AR to see if she could locate the downed part of the pasture fence that was obviously letting the walkers through to the fence shared with the Lazy H. Alex found the gap, it looked like two fence posts had been brought down, leaving a sizable gap in the fence.
Jake pulled around so his truck was facing back towards the road. Alex pulled hers around so she could use the roof of the cab to rest her rifle on while she took the long shots to get the walkers out in the pasture.
"We should clear tha buildings first, the fences'll hold 'em a little longer," Jake said as he walked up to Alex's truck.
"Sounds good," Alex replied, falling in behind him as Jake headed for the house.
They followed the same procedure they had at the sheriff's office - Jake went to the right, Alex went to the left and they met around the back of the house. When neither of them saw anything of concern, Alex knocked on the back door and waited, listening for the distinct sounds of the walkers. Alex pounded again, then checked the handle and found the door unlocked. She pushed it open, Jake stormed inside with Alex on his tail. They swept room to room, finding no bodies, dead or otherwise.
"Looks like they were having a party," Alex said, nodding to the 'Congratulations' banner hanging over the dining room table covered in now rotting appetizers. Alex looked at the cake on the table with 'Congratulations Baptismal Class of 2010' written on it. They had been getting ready to celebrate someone's baptism. The irony was not lost on Alex. "May explain why there's so many walkers out there, but how'd they get here? I didn't see any cars parked anywhere, did you?"
"Nah. Come on. Let's go check tha barn," Jake said.
Alex followed Jake to the old barn. The big double doors to the barn were closed and latched securely. Jake looked around at the tracks while Alex pounded on the doors. She was instantly rewarded with the groaning and snarling of the undead.
Jake caught Alex's eye and motioned to the side of the barn. There was a ladder that led up to the hay loft, giving them access without using the door. Alex followed Jake up the ladder, almost bumping into him when he came to an abrupt stop on the last rung. She waited for what seemed like forever before Jake started climbing again.
By the time Alex took the last step off the ladder, Jake had started firing down into the open area of the barn below them. Alex immediately took position next to him and began firing, quickly taking down five to Jake's seven. Alex moved around the loft to get a better view, making sure they didn't miss any before they climbed down the interior ladder.
When she was satisfied, Alex signaled to Jake and he began climbing down to the barn floor littered with bodies. Alex stayed where she had a good line of sight on his blind spot while he descended, then made her way down to join him.
They looked through the bodies, checking to see if there was anyone they knew. It was mostly older men and women, dressed in their Sunday best. Alex saw some familiar faces, but again, no one she was close to. She climbed back up the ladder to check around the back of the building. Sure enough, there was a big bus parked there with one walker in it - the bus driver judging by his clothes.
Alex went to the door of the bus and cracked it open, luring the walker to the crack before stabbing him in the head. She turned around and almost walked into Jake.
"So how do ya wanna work this," he asked her as they walked back to the front of the barn. Alex climbed into the back of her truck with Jake following behind. Alex looked through the scope again, this time noticing that some of the walkers in the field seemed to be moving together. She looked for a pair that had a clear line of sight to their legs.
"Are you seeing this," she asked Jake. "It looks like their legs are tied together, like a three-legged race. This'll be easier than shooting fish in a barrel. No need to waste ammo, let's just go out there and use the knives." She lowered her AR and began to climb out of the truck.
"There's over a dozen out there, you sure about this," Jake asked as he followed her to the fence.
Alex didn't answer him; she just nodded and approached the fence, stabbing the walkers that had gathered there. When they dropped, Alex climbed into the pasture.
"Come on, let's get this over with. You take the left, I'll take the right. We move towards the far side of the enclosure, where there are fewer of them. If we get into trouble, we head for the closest fence. No guns unless we get overwhelmed," Alex stated.
They moved through the field, Alex used her hunting knife predominantly, but had several opportunities to use her throwing knives as well. She was pleased to discover that her aim was not rusty at all, cleanly sinking three knives into eyes from a distance of more than twenty feet. Jake was at her side the whole time, together they stabbed, dodged, kicked, grabbed and thrust their way through the hobbled walkers. After the last body dropped, Jake and Alex took the opportunity to catch their breath, looking around the area to see what, if any, clues might be gained, as well as collect Alex's knives.
"Looks like they're all out here ta play games, got some eggs over there an' a little course marked out with stakes. Maybe an egg toss or egg race? Don't explain why there was a group of 'em in tha barn though," Jake said.
"Don't matter much, really. We got 'em all cleared out, that's what's important," she said. "I wonder if they had time to realize that their baptism was a waste of water," Alex said cynically. She'd never been raised to believe in god, so the idea that dunking your head in some water and living on good intentions was gonna save you from hell was ludicrous to her. As far as she could tell, this was hell. Hell on earth.
"Let's get the fuck outta here," she called to Jake. They made their way back to the trucks and Alex followed Jake into town.
When they pulled up to the gates of the storage compound they were once again greeted by Aaron's brother, Zach. He led them into the office where Tim and Billy greeted them enthusiastically.
"How've things been in town," Jake asked after shaking hands with the boys.
"Good, all thangs considered," Billy replied. "Ain't seen no one tryin' to get past the barricades, an' the dead ones we lured out across the highway seem to have moved on. Me an' Tim went out there yesterday to check things out, an' they're all gone."
"Which is good news fer us, bad news fer someone else," Tim chimed in. "Also, since it was clear out there we took the time ta put down the rest of the dead in the cars. I'm really sorry we didn't do it before, Alex."
"Thanks, Tim. I get it though. I probably would have done the same thing if I had been here. So, where's the doc," Alex asked. "I wanna get this over with."
"He's around here somewhere. Zach'll find him," Billy replied, nodding at Zach, who promptly turned and ran out the door. "What happened to yer hair? You lose a bet with Jake," he teased.
"It was just time for a change, Billy, ya know? Out with the old, in with the new and shit," she said through a small grin. "So, what's on the agenda for today boys?"
"Haven't decided yet. We figured ya'll'd be in early, so we thought we'd wait to plan 'til then, which I guess is now," Tim joked.
At that moment, Doc was ushered in to the room by Zach, who promptly turned and left them to it. Doc brought his bag in and set it on the table next to Alex, who began to remove her shirt so he could take a look at her back. Alex figured maybe they should wait to plan until after Doc was finished checking her out.
"Jake, why don't you tell the boys about the men you came across last night while Doc looks me over," she quickly interjected before anyone could say anything else.
Jake understood what she was doing and started telling them the tale of the previous night. He had just about gotten to the part about the map when Doc interrupted.
"Sorry to stop you mid sentence son but I thought you'd want to know that everything looks like it should. Cheek's a little red, but that's to be expected. It's irritated from all the movement, so try to talk less," he said jokingly, looking at Alex. He had no idea that she had barely said a word all day yesterday.
"Just keep doin' what you've been doin' and it'll be fine," he continued. "How's the salve feeling? Still burning," he asked Alex.
"Nah, I don't even feel it anymore," she told him. It was true; Alex hadn't felt the pain in her back or neck at all since yesterday afternoon. Her cheek still pinched sometimes, but it mostly just faded into the background.
"Well that's good. Just make sure you keep it clean. If you can, leave the neck wound uncovered for a while every day. It will help it heal faster. The others you can leave uncovered unless they're gonna rub on something. And I can't recommend the salve enough. Use it liberally." Placing the last piece of tape on the gauze covering the bite wound Doc said, "Unless it gets infected, you shouldn't need to see me until the stitches are ready to come out in about ten days."
He helped Alex get her arm back into her shirt, then returned items from the table to his bag and left the room.
"So, what's the rest of the story," Tim asked.
Jake told them about the map, pulling it from his pocket for their inspection.
"Looks like the man did his homework," Billy said, after emitting a low whistle. "I think we can put his work ta good use, though. Hell, I think we can add to it, use it to plan out supply runs, things like that. I'm damn happy that ya got the drop on these guys, Jake. Don't think we want those types settlin' in our backyard."
"Which brings us to our next topic of conversation nicely," Alex said, smiling at the boys. "We got a proposition for ya."
Billy and Tim's eyes found Alex's, their faces breaking out in the same grin. "We were hopin' ya'll would say somethin' like that," Tim said.
Jake took over from here, "You boys already know tha setup we got out at tha Lazy H - water, solar power, gardens, animals fer eatin', fences, tha whole nine. We're far enough out there tha' we don't gotta worry 'bout too many pressin' up against tha fences an' we ain't on tha radar of someone jus' rollin' through town. We got plenty uh space fer tha people that're already here, an' food 'nough fer everyone, provided ya'll help out. Al an' I think we can make a real go of it, have a life out there, but we need more people ta keep tha place secure an' help out with tha work. We're willin' ta bring people in, but we got some concerns an' we wanted ta talk to ya'll first before bringin' it ta tha larger group." Jake looked from Billy to Tim and back again.
"What kinda concerns," Billy asked. "I think we would agree ta jus' about anythin' at this point. We can't make it here for long."
Jake looked at Alex, and after a moment she took the lead.
"Well, this is my home, and it's been Jake's home for the last decade. We don't wanna have any issues with anyone making rogue decisions, trying to hunt or harvesting, anything that could put the group in jeopardy. We would like to have a council, the four of us and one other person, if you have one in mind. It's in everyone's best interest that we plan hunts out, keep an accurate inventory. Seriously, in order for this to work we really need to be a well oiled machine and all be on the same page. We have to be able to trust each other, which I am going to try really hard to do, in spite of what happened with Molly."
"Shouldn't be a problem, gettin' people to agree with those terms," Billy said. "We've had a couple problems, one man that we found don't treat his daughter too well, and a couple of drunk arguments, some disagreements over ownership of scavenged stuff. Nothin' major, so far."
"What do you guys think? Should we talk to them now," Alex asked.
"We should probably come up with answers to some basic questions before we get in front of everyone," Billy suggested. "Like where is everyone going to sleep?"
Alex ran over her thoughts with them, explaining how many could be accommodated in each residence on the ranch as well as her suggestion to tow trailers from other ranches to provide individual space instead of dorm style living quarters. She suggested that they come up with lists of supplies that they would need to house everyone comfortable through the winter so they could send out teams to start gathering items from surrounding ranches.
"It's almost November, guys. We've got to be organized and move fast to be ready by the time it really gets cold. Hopefully we won't have any snow this year. So, what do you think," Alex asked.
"I think you've been planning this for years, kid," Billy teased again. "I think we got a serious chance to get through this if you keep comin' up with good ideas."