Chapter 28:

She felt safer with the wolf beside her. She thought such a hungry animal would have made a meal out of her. Humans, animals and zombies all had one thing in common. They needed to eat in order to survive. She rummaged through every draw, cupboard and closet she could find. She even found a coat that was for more suitable for the weather than the one she was wearing. She changed into jeans and dressed in extra layers. Clothes she found in one of the closets upstairs were her size. There were bigger backpacks left behind and she transferred all her stuff into a backpack made for hiking and travelling outdoors.

"You in luck home boy." She told the wolf as he trotted along beside her. She rummaged through the pantry. There wasn't much left but she found dog food for the wolf and a can of spaghetti-os she could eat. Since she didn't plan on staying at the farmhouse for long she didn't care how tidy it was. She plopped the dog food meet on the ground and watched the wolf eagerly lap it up and ate her spaghetti-os straight from the tin can while it snowed heavily outside.

"Snow ain't letting up." She smirked since she knew Yates would try coming after her. She could see it in his face the day she left Westwood. If the snow wouldn't let her travel to the cabin in the mountains it certainly wouldn't let Yates travel to pursue her. She had a good head start and if she needed him to she had Wolf to protect her along with her own blade. She giggled as she smoked the last of her medication. The wolf let her lean her arm across his back and scratch him behind his ear. "Suck it Harrison Yates."

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The men he handpicked to accompany him were pussies. They started bitching and moaning about the trip as soon as Westwood was out of sight behind them. He didn't know these guys before the apocalypse and only saw one of the Big Bad Government Guy's soldiers during the Nazi zombie outbreak that hit South Park after the UFO crashed and spilled noxious green goo everywhere.

"Aw seriously?!" One man groaned. He didn't know him well and couldn't even remember his name, but Government Guy told him he was ready for his first mission outside of Westwood. He hadn't even been on a supply run before and had spent his days inside the walls when the plague first started. "A snowstorm?"

"Are you from Colorado boy?" He asked with annoyance as they were losing track of Classi. She had a good head start and he wanted to get to her and find his old superior before she had the chance to get to Mary's cabin. He almost forgot about the place, but he had helped Barbrady with many protection details for Mary McDaniels, their children at this cabin. It would be the only place liveable in the God forsaken mountains. As long as they made good pace they could be there on foot in a couple of days and maybe even catch up to Classi.

"N-No." The man shivered under several layers. He told them men to dress warmly since it was going to be a bit of a hike. It wasn't just the roaming dead fucks, but the weather was against them as well.

"Where are you from?" He asked even though he didn't really care.

"F-F-Florida." His teeth were chattering. The others were just as cold as he was and the wind picked up around them blowing snow. Visibility was limited and they would have to stop and find shelter before they could continue.

Even he knew the whining soldier was right and they would have to continue when the weather allowed. They were exposed to the elements in the middle of nowhere and could freeze to death before the dead had a chance to eat their brains. "Fine. There's a farmhouse up ahead pussies. We'll stop for the night."

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He would never admit it to anyone, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous about his upcoming trial. He was over confident at the time and was expecting to fight the fat old bumbling idiot Police Chief Barbrady. He still couldn't understand what Mary saw in the fat idiot. Barbrady had taken everything from him and Mary denied him his right to his revenge. He stewed wishing he could train even just a little before the fight. He knew Mary would be training her own champion. He could see the dark grey clouds that loomed overhead. Specks of pink criss-crossed the sky displaying just a hint of sunset through the dark grey gloom.

He wondered who his opponent was going to be since it was obvious it wasn't going to be Barbrady. The one person he wanted to fight. He thought he had Mary in a bind but she may as well have kicked him in the balls. It was a compromise he didn't like. There were even people he didn't recognise amongst the group and he'd seen glimpses of them through the cracks in the barn. He could be fighting anyone of them and he slumped again in disappointed when no amount of eavesdropping would reveal his challenger. He started to sulk because nothing was going his way. He set up the camp and kept them all safe. He saved Mary's life when the Big Bad Government Guy could have and would have killed her back at Hell's Pass Hospital. They repaid him with betrayal. He felt physically weak and even though he'd had hardly any food he ejected the contents of his stomach. He cursed them all to hell. No matter who his opponent was he'd beat them and Mary would have to relinquish her leadership. He wouldn't give her a choice once he had his way. He smirked as the barn doors creaked open. The Mayor's eldest son Officer Alexander Preston McDaniels – a man he hated with a passion since he refused to support the pc movement – greeted him along with Officer Foley and Officer Peterson.

"Get up Marsh it's time to die." He didn't say anything and let them drag him out without kicking up a fuss. Since he wouldn't be restrained during the fight nothing could stop him if he wanted to escape. No matter how it played out someone was going to die that night and it wasn't going to be him.

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She wondered if she'd made a terrible mistake. She didn't know what to think about the fights she witnessed that evening. She watched as Yates and his handpicked team left Westwood for their mission. She didn't know what that mission was and opted not to ask about it. She felt the jab of guilt since she had decided to stay in Westwood rather than go with Classi. Despite this guilt she didn't want to spend time scavenging in the wilderness with nowhere safe to sleep.

"I'm sorry about your friend Liane." He wrapped his strong arms around her. She hadn't had a man in her life in a long time. He was growing on her. She wanted to know more about him and she wondered at the same time if she could convince Classi to come back.

"I just don't want to live out there. Is that such a bad thing?" She failed to understand what Classi's problem with Westwood was. There was nothing wrong with the place and the apartment she stayed in while small was better than the green house she had back in South Park.

"It's not a bad thing to want safety and security. People need that these days. It's harsh out there. You'd know that better than almost everyone here. Except for perhaps Harrison." He took her by the hand and led her to the small courtyard outside his apartment. She didn't realise her apartment came with one as well and she could put any kind of plant she wanted the space would allow. "Some people grow their own herbs."

She felt guilty for her part back in Denver. She was part of the supply run that led to Police Chief Barbrady handcuffing Harrison Yates to the rooftop. She didn't even remember who had dropped the key amongst all that chaos. "I didn't mean to leave Harris behind."

"He doesn't blame you Ms. Cartman." Big Bad Government Guy poured her a glass of whisky. She needed it. She hadn't had alcohol or used any drugs since the apocalypse started. "He didn't even mention your name. He keeps bitching about this Officer Barbrady."

"Please call me Liane." She felt comfortable around him. She even opened up. She used to be friends with officer Barbrady and Mayor McDaniels. She wasn't even sure if she still were should they be alive. "They used to be best friends."

She wasn't expecting it. She even opened up about losing her son. The chaos at camp and everything that had happened since the dead started walking.

"You'll be safe here Liane." He assured her with a tender kiss and wrapped her in a tight embrace. One she eagerly returned. Kisses between them became more passionate as he led her into his apartment. She hadn't seen it from the inside before. She was still only new to Westwood. Even though he was the leader of Westwood his apartment was small like hers. His living room had a working fireplace and modern furniture including a soft leather couch. She hadn't felt the excitement of being with someone new for a long time. She only ever worked and rarely had time for dating. Passionate kissing became passionate lovemaking as she allowed herself to enjoy the moment.

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At least she had company again. Wolf was just the companion she needed. She knew Wolf would stay loyal. She was still bitter about Liane Cartman choosing Westwood and the gross Big Bad Government Guy over their friendship.

"Maybe I should take out his other eye." She told Wolf as they trudged up yet another incline. As soon as it looked like there was a break in the snow they left the farmhouse and started for the cabin. She was hoping to find an abandoned working car with some fuel remaining just so they could get there faster. If her goddaughter were at the cabin with her adoptive mother and father she knew they'd appreciate another random car plus any other supplies she might still have with her when she got there.

She could tell Wolf was cold. He trotted on ahead just to keep warm. She couldn't find a dog jacket at the farmhouse they stayed at despite looking for one. "It'll be warm when we get there. That place is better than my old Classi apartment."

She spun around quickly the minute Wolf let lose a low threatening growl. "Oh hell no!"

She broke into a run when she saw them. It was too cold and she didn't have the energy to fight all of them. Wolf noticed Yates and other men from Westwood before she did. She withdrew her Katana from its sheath and prepared herself. She'd rather evade them. The gun she carried didn't have any bullets and she didn't want them firing their weapons at Wolf.

"Get back here!" She screamed at Wolf genuinely concerned for his safety.

Wolf did not yield. He dispatched the men Yates had with him before they had the chance to open fire on them. Wolf's howling unnerved her and she could see obvious fear plastered across Sergeant Harrison Yate's ugly mug.

"You better run bitch!" She whirled around and drove her Katana through the skull of a walking dead woman that heard all the ruckus. The dead were drawn to their prey by sound so she tried to remain quiet whenever possible.

Wolf had made short work of it. Harrison's men were dead. That didn't mean they'd stay dead. She broke into a run and took them all out before they had the chance to make a meal out of Wolf.

She noticed the glint of a dark blue car up ahead. The vehicle worked and still had some fuel. She took the bags from their corpses and even the warm jackets and beanies they were wearing. There was only one decapitated corpse she didn't touch once she took his backpack. There was plenty of extra canned food and even a good bottle of Riesling. She gave Wolf a grateful scratch behind his ear and he hopped in the backseat of the car she found when she told him to. She kept the bottle of wine on the passenger seat with her belongings. She knew that she'd be at the cabin well before Yates. "I know Mary's gonna like this."