Chapter 5:All Roads lead to here.
'Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future.'
It's been two days since they've been on the road. Two sunsets. She should try and find a watch once they've reached Jackson. She was starting to feel better. The migraine she had was starting to diminish. She still has waves of nausea, but she was slowly on the mend.
Rebecca would stay true to her word. She no longer was going to feel sorry for herself. She left Ben back in Silver Lake along with the rest of her bad memories. She would no longer worry about David. The past isn't something that could hurt her anymore.
They reached an intersection, which was blanketed in debris and abandoned cars. She watched as Joel inspected the sign, indicating it won't be long now. She felt the anxiety creeping up again. She didn't know what to expect in Jackson. She didn't even know if they would welcome her there. She had to do this. She needed to be brave.
Rebecca looked over at Joel and Ellie riding on Dusty. She frowned as she looked out at the long stretch of highway, which was now covered in vegetation and debris. She remembered what it used to be like to drive down the hallway. She used to hate getting stuck in rush hour traffic. She used to hate a lot of things about mundane life. She missed boring.
Infected don't reach this far out into the desolation. They tended to stick to larger cities. She could see the buildings beyond, knowing they would come face to face with the inevitable. Cities used to be full of promises. Now it's nothing more than death.
They had enough ammo. Maybe they wouldn't have to fight. They could avoid detection. She didn't want to fight anymore, but she would if she had to.
Rebecca sighed as she weaved Sadie through abandoned cars,'There's different types of infected.'
It was the first thing she said in hours. Joel looked back at her and narrowed his eyes,'How you figure that?'
'I've seen them.' She nodded,'I've researched as much as I can on the fungus bacteria that caused people to get infected. There's different stages and…professions. Back in the seventies, there was a scientist who studied the fungi. He tried to warn people. They thought he was crazy. They shunned him and laughed at him on national television.'
'And you read this all in books?' Joel huffed, not wanting to think about the implications of what she was saying.
'Not just in books.' She shook her head,'The…the man was my grandfather. He tried to warn everyone. He died when I was little. I didn't really know him, but grandma would talk about him. She would show me newspaper clippings. She gave me his notebooks. I kept them. I still have them.'
Ellie's eyes widened. She had seen different infected. She wasn't stupid. She knew this thing was much bigger than just a virus. It was humanity's fault we were here in the first place.
'You don't let anyone see those notebooks.' He steered Dusty so she would stumble and held tightly onto the reins,'You burn them if you have to.'
The conviction in his warning let her know he wasn't fucking around.
Rebecca nodded, knowing she would do just that if she needed to. Ellie wouldn't survive the process. Not without real science and medicine, which was a thing of the past.
The city got closer and closer. They couldn't steer around it. The only way to get to Jackson was to go through.
Rebecca took her rifle off her shoulder, making sure it was cocked and loaded. Ellie took her pistol out, making sure it was ready. Joel did the same, taking Tommy's borrowed rifle off his shoulder.
She took a deep breath as they made their way into the city. This would be the last leg of their journey. It would be ironic for her to die after surviving everything else over the years.
When they reached the city it was eerily silent, almost like the calm before the storm. The clouds above were dark and ominous. She could hear the thunder booming in the distance. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. Of course it would rain. Why the fuck not?
Her eyes widened when she saw the crowd of infected. There were over a dozen of them. Maybe even more if she was being honest with herself. They couldn't kill them all. Not without using all their ammo.
Joel takes a look back at her. Their eyes meet and she could almost hear what he's thinking. He gives her a curt nod,'How fast can you go?'
'She can so fast.' She nodded,'So can Dusty. She's…skittish sometimes.'
He rolled his eyes and shook his head,'Of course you would give me the slower horse.'
Rebecca smirked as she trotted past Joel and Ellie,'I thought you had no problem handling a real lady. Talk is cheap.'
Joel didn't respond back as he just stared at her. Ellie looked up at him, smiling to herself. Rebecca was starting to show her personality. She wasn't taking his shit. As she shouldn't. She more than proved she could handle herself.
Joel needed more friends. He was closed off and too grumpy. She knew Tess had been his friend. Maybe even more, but he never talked about her. She knew her death affected him. In more ways than he would like to admit.
The infected for closer as they charged through them with their horses. The infected started lunging for them. The clicking rang loud in her ears. She shot one in the head as they lunged at, trying to grab onto Sadie. She steered her horse, trying to protect her as best she could. Sadie was like a child to her. She would damned if she lost her too.
Rebecca looked over at Joel and Ellie. He was effortlessly taking them down one by one. Ellie was shooting as well, hitting whatever she could. The girl was a good shot. Joel taught her well. She was thankful the young woman knew how to take care of herself.
Her eyes widened when she saw an infected jump onto Dusty from behind. He was fast. His speed was unlike anything she'd seen before. She aimed her rifle, firing off a shot. His brains exploded, causing him to fall backwards onto the ground.
Joel met her gaze and gave her a slight nod. It was the closest thing she would get as a 'thank you' for saving his life. For the second time.
They breached the infected, leaving no one left alive. Her chest was heaving as she slowed Sadie down, giving the girl some time to catch her breath. She wasn't afraid. She was actually starting to enjoy killing infected. It was…cathartic in some fucked up way.
They were surprised when they came onto a rescue camp. She couldn't remember the last time she's seen one. It's been a long time since she's been in a QZ. David like to keep their group sequestered. It was easier for them to control that way.
They got off their horses and walked into the camp. No one really batted an eye at them. They were probably used to people coming and going. They wouldn't be here long. Just enough to get some rest and move on.
Rebecca was thankful to wash her face. She looked over Ellie, making sure she was alright. She was quiet and distant. Especially with Joel. She knew they had a lot of unresolved issues to get through. Did Ellie blame him for everything that happened? Did Joel blame himself?
They managed to get some rations and found a spot to rest. Rebecca smiled as she watched Ellie playing with a dog. She seemed to love animals.
'You should get her a dog when you get to Jackson.' She nodded as she glanced over at him,'A sheep dog.'
He nodded silently as he looked over at Ellie,'I need to teach her guitar too.'
She nodded and gave him a small smile,'You've taught her a lot of things already.' She sighed, whispering,'It's not your fault, you know. Anyone in your position would've done the same, Joel. My grandfather was right. There isn't a cure. They should've bombed the entire fucking planet. Those doctors working on her didn't know what the fuck they were doing. She would've died for nothing.'
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration,'I swore to her they wouldn't hurt her.'
'She knew you were placating her. She's smarter than you give her credit for. She knew the risks just as much as we did. You did what any parent would do.'
He glared over at her,'I'm not her father.'
'No. You're not.' She shrugged,'You're closer thing to anything she has though. Do you have to make sure you do right by her. You gotta make sure the rest of her life is…happy. As happy as you can make it.'
She didn't know why he opened up to her. Maybe the guilt was eating away at him. Maybe he was tired of pretending like he had all the answers.
'You deserve to be happy too.' He shook his head,'Seems like you've been through some shit.'
'I guess you could say that.' She smiled softly,'You deserve it too.' She looked over at Ellie, laughing as she rolled around with the dog,'I tried to kill myself too. The night after my husband was killed. I went into the supply shed and…was gonna shoot myself.'
He was cleaning his rifle, but glanced up her, looking over her face,'Why didn't you?'
'I didn't want to give David the satisfaction.' She shrugged as tears filled her eyes, but they didn't fall. She wouldn't cry for what was lost anymore,'I wanted to make sure I was alive when I saw him die. I'm just sad she was the one who had to do it.'
He looked over at Ellie and nodded,'I'm not.'
A small smile formed on her face. She knew what he meant. He was proud of the fact Ellie could protect herself when he couldn't be there to do it.
Joel sighed as she wordlessly placed a pistol on her lap. She looked down at the gun, shaking her head confusingly,'What's this?'
'It was a friend of mine's.' He nodded,'I think she would want you to have that.'
'Your woman?' She remembered his words all those nights ago,' Why would you give me this?'
He nodded his head over towards Ellie,'She likes you. She trusts you. You'll be good for her. You can teach her things I can't. She could use a friend.'
'I am her friend. She's my friend.' She laughed,'She's probably the closest friend I've had in a long time. I promised I would look out for her and I meant that.'
'I'm getting older. I'm almost fifty two years old.' He shook his head and sighed,'I ain't gonna be here to see things through.'
She rolled her eyes and handed the gun back to him, placing it in his lap,'You tell me to get my shit together and you're sitting here mentally dying. We're all gonna die, Joel. Anyone of us can die at any time. Just because she can't get infected doesn't mean she can't be eaten. You said that.'
'I've said a lot of shit, Rebecca.' He frowned as he rubbed his chest soothingly.
She sighed and placed a hand on his back,'When we get to Jackson you need to get your heart looked at. I know you're hurting. You better not have a fucking heart attack and die on that girl. I'll bring you back and kill you my damn self.'
She saw a hint of a smile cross his face. She knew they weren't friends. She wasn't even sure if he liked her. He made it clear once they reached Jackson she would steer clear of him, but she wouldn't stop speaking to Ellie. She would damned if she let that happen.
Something shifted between them during the hospital. He may not like or trust her, but she respected her. They had gone through hell and back with each other. That had to count for something.
They rested for a few hours before heading back on the road. They were weary and exhausted, but they didn't stop moving. They intended to make it to Jackson as quickly as they could. They didn't stop for anything. Two sunsets and sunrises and she saw the sign.
Welcome to, Jackson County, Wyoming. We hope you enjoy your stay and never leave!
She swallowed harshly. She hoped it wasn't false advertisement. She felt her heart pounding as they made their way down the road. Joel stopped Dusty in front of a wooden gate, which led to the town.
She took a deep breath. It was all or nothing. This could be the road to freedom or the worst mistake of her life.