Chapter 16: Hope Deferred

"Are you done yet?" Daze called out towards the brick wall that blocked his view of the girls.

"No, now just be patient!" Clara shot back.

"Why do girls suck so much?" Daze asked sarcastically.

"Well we've hardly had time to come to that conclusion now haven't we?" Clara's voice came from the other side.

Justin snorted as he stifled a laugh.

"Shut up slut!" Daze smiled even though he hated being beaten at his own game, "I meant at taking a piss!"

"You do know we don't exactly have the same hardware as you guys right?" Daze heard giggling from the other side of the wall.

"Of course I do," Daze paused a moment for affect, "You showed me remember?"

Daze smiled as he heard a gasp and the giggling intensified.

"That's a lie!" Clara shouted.

"So?" Daze burst out laughing, "It still got you blushing!"

"You're such a jerk!"

"Yeah sure whatever, now hurry up!"

After a little while, Clara came running around the wall and headed straight for Daze. Daze took off immediately down the road, laughing the while he did.

"I'll get you!" She shouted after him, shaking her fist.

"We'll see!" Daze shouted back, "Now let's get going, we're almost to the orphanage."

Daze looked off down the road towards the orphanage with a mix of hope and trepidation. He desired to put his friends to rest, but he also wondered what his reaction would be.

And what if the locust were still there?

Daze hadn't before considered this. Besides, what interest would the locust have in hanging around a place where everyone was obviously dead. No, Daze told himself, it was impossible.

Yet still he doubted.

"Clara!" He shouted back, "Come here quick!"

"What's up buddy?" Clara said as she ran up and punched him in the arm, "But thank you all the same."

"No problem," Daze turned and began walking again, "I want you to help me scout the orphanage before I go in."

"You think there are locust still around?" Clara's expression darkened, "But there's no reason they should still be around."

"Unless they know that they didn't get all of us."

"But why would we come back?"

"Why are we coming back?" Daze asked, "Because it's home."

"I guess, but the locust aren't that patient…"

"Normally," Daze broke in, "But why did they come back in the first place?"

"Hmm," Now the look of concern gave way to resignation, "Well they haven't killed us yet, and I do love sending their brains against the wall."

Daze shot her a sidelong glace that she didn't seem to notice, then shrugged and walked on.

Holly followed the others at a short distance. She looked at the happy couples ahead of her and wished she had made a move back at the Cog guardhouse. Sure it had seemed like she meant no more to Daze then any random person they met, yet she couldn't help but feel that she had made a mistake.

Presently, they came within sight of the orphanage. Daze seemed relieved that they hadn't met with any locust on their travel back. She heard him sigh as he turned into the same old strip mall they had hidden in as the locust had attacked the building.

Holly drifted into the same room they had occupied earlier. She looked out a hole in the wall at the grand house that served as home for her new friends.

She could see crows picking at something on the dirt behind the orphanage. Mercy.

Holly looked away from the remains and gazed at the once magnificent structure that rose like a lone sentinel from the buildings around.

The house itself was three stories tall and shaped like a large square tower. The top was flat and she could only guess that it allowed access to the roof. There were many windows but most of these were boarded up.

The buildings around were all a good fifty yards off thanks to the large lawn in the back and the long driveway that led from what looked to be an interesting underground garage all the way to a road. It was recessed from the road while all the other house came right up close to it.

Holly wondered if the former owners had been rich or if it had been built before any of the surrounding houses. Indeed it looked old enough, yet it also appeared to have been so immaculately tended to that it was still in good shape, despite fourteen years of disrepair and a life and death battle.

She turned from the house and looked to where the others were discussing something. As she was watching, Clara got up and left the room with Justin following. Soon Susan and Jordan also got up and left.

Holly turned to Daze and asked, "What's going on?"

"We're scouting around before we run out in the open," Daze attached the Carbine to his back and took the lancer in hand, "You three are staying here incase something happens."

"And what will we do here?"

Daze squeezed the lancer's fore grip and it came to life with a small whir of the chainsaw and the blinking of lights. "You'll wait for one of us to come get you, or you'll cover any of us who make a run for the house. I've already told Jack what to do."

"Alright," Holly wasn't sure how to handle it. Daze seemed to be ignoring her for the most part, or was that only because she was ignoring him, "Be careful."

"I will." Daze chambered a round with a satisfying clack as he mad his way out of the room and down the hall.

"Don't worry about it sis," Jack said as they watched him go, "That wasn't your last chance."

Holly looked into his wise, knowing face felt some comfort. There would be more chances.

.

Clara followed Justin through the strip mall, checking corners and making sure no locust were hiding out. She had secured her Longshot on her back and held the Reaper sub-machinegun lightly in her hand.

Justin was moving into each room quickly and carefully, shotgun extended and ready for quick use. They had covered a lot of ground since they had left Daze and were coming to the end of the strip mall.

Justin found a large hole in the wall and looked out towards one of the houses that surrounded the orphanage.

"Cover me." He whispered it Clara.

Justin jumped out through the hole and ran for the house. He came to an old rotten door and smashed through it with his shoulder, disappearing into the house. A moment later he came into sight again and signaled Clara to follow.

Clara sprinted across the opening and into the doorway.

"You see anything?" She asked as they started moving through the house.

"Nope." Justin looked out the back window at the orphanage. There was no movement. "You check upstairs."

Clara ran up the stairs and checked all the rooms.

"Nothing," Clara said to Justin as came up the stairs, "Actually, there is an old bed."

Justin raised an eyebrow as Clara walked toward the bed and sat down, brushing the hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"So?" She said seductively as she patted the bed next to her, "What do you think?"

"I think we'll have enough time tonight," Justin said, yet Clara could tell he was tempted.

"Aww, come on and…"

"Put your pants back on Clara!" Daze's voice crackled through the earpiece, "Justin's right."

Clara jumped at his voice. "How many times am I going to have to punch you today?"

"Oh don't even pretend!" Daze said, "Now cover me, I'm going to make a run for the orphanage."

Clara looked out of a window and watched for Daze. Presently he came running out from one of the houses directly across from them. He ran to the door, then pushed it open and entered the orphanage.

"I'm in." Daze's voice came through the earpiece.

"How does it look?" Clara asked.

"Bad."

Daze stepped over the rotting body of a locust drone. The smell almost to much to take.

He saw blood everywhere, splattered against the walls and pooled on the floor. The gruesome horror hit home when he stumbled on the body of one of the other orphans. He couldn't recognize who it had been, nor whether it had been a boy or a girl. The flies hadn't gotten to it yet, but Daze knew it would only be a matter of time.

He walked slowly through the halls of the orphanage. There were locust bodies scattered about, as well as the occasional human. Daze looked about for Theresa, but he wasn't even sure he would recognize her.

Daze walked to the stairs and headed up. He came out on the roof and saw Tom's body leaning up against the three foot high retaining wall. There were several holes in his chest that matched up with holes in the wall. Daze saw a beat up lancer off to the side.

"It looks clear," Daze said into the mic, "Better come on in."

He walked down the stairs and into the basement. He found an emergence hole in the room next to the garage. The door was smashed and standing open. Daze stepped over a dead grub and surveyed the carnage.

He found a dead body lying among the junk that was stashed around. He looked for the hiding place he and some of his friends had dug out of the pile and found a streak of blood but no body.

Someone made it out.

"Who?" Daze wondered aloud to himself.

"Who what?" Clara asked.

Daze turned around and looked at her. There were tears in her eyes and she looked as though she would collapse at any moment.

"Someone survived." Daze said.

"Who was it?"

"That's what I was wondering." Daze walked to Clara and hugged her, "It's alright. Why don't you head up to the roof and be lookout. Justin and I will take care of the bodies."

"Okay." Clara's eyes were puffy and red and Daze heard her sniffle on her way out.

Daze turned back to the room. Over to the side, next to where the generator hummed quietly, was his motorcycle. Daze felt a wave of relief as he looked it over. It was just like the dirt bike his dad had taught him to ride when he was younger only a lot bigger. Many of the parts bore at least a little rust, and the overall color was a kind of orange, red with its own hint of rust.

Daze walked over and flipped the key on. The instruments flicked to life and the headlight beamed against the wall. Daze turned the key off and walked up the steps. He found Justin dragging the locust to the steps and then shoving them down.

"Toss them in the emergence hole." Justin said as he pushed another one down.

"Will do," Daze said as he grabbed one, "Make sure you grab anything useful though okay?"

"Got it."

Daze looked at the ones Justin had already thrown down and noticed a few had spare ammo magazines, some had snub pistols and others had knives. Daze noticed a pair of goggles on the head of one, pulled them off and tried them on. The lens's were orange and made everything look a little darker, but otherwise they fit well and he might even use them while riding.

Daze heard footsteps and looked up the stairs.

"How you doing?" Susan asked quietly.

"Not good, as usual." Daze muttered as he stripped the useful gear off the locust and then dumped them down the emergence hole.

"Hopefully it'll ease up soon." Susan said as she took one of the snub pistols and strapped it to her belt.

"Why do you need two of those?" Daze asked, noticing the other one on her belt.

"I don't want to use anything too heavy," She said as she continued working, "I want to be free to bring you guys ammo and whatever you need."

"You're always thinking ahead." Daze said with satisfaction, "I've always loved that about you."

"Thanks." Susan gave him a smile and then picked up the spare ammo belts and carried them upstairs.

"Hey," Daze shouted up the steps, "Are Holly and the twins in yet?"

"I didn't see them come in." Susan replied, "I'll check for you."

"Thank you!"

"No problem."

Daze turned back to his work and finished shoving the last locust over to the hole.

Then he felt the house shake.

"Damn locust!" Daze muttered as he grabbed his lancer and ran up the stairs.