He nods grimly.
Fuck. Guess that explains the grief he was experiencing earlier when he looked at Rachel’s bedroom door. “Why? Why did they take them?” It makes no sense for them to go to all that trouble just to have to travel with extra weight and mouths to feed.
Andy sighs heavily and rakes a hand through his hair. “Human trafficking. Why else do you think they’d take them? Your brother is a strong, healthy man that they’d put to work and Rachel…” He swallows hard as his face pales.
He doesn’t need to say anything for my imagination to go wild.Oh my God.I gape at him in horror. “They really do…that?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper. Fuck, I think I’m going to be sick.
“Welcome to the apocalypse, Ollie.” His tone is bitter as he spreads his arms wide. “Where even the dead rising can’t stop humans from being cunts to one another.”
“Fuck.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
I stare at my half-drunk tea and the biscuit still sitting on the plate. My appetite is long gone after learning the horrors that both my brother and Andy’s poor daughter might be facing. And I’m sitting here, drinking fuckingtea. I suck in a sharp breath and let it out slowly while pushing my self-loathing to the side. Now isn’t the time for a pity party, not with Tobias out there.
“Do you know where they took them?” I ask Andy, hoping maybe if he gave me a destination then I could go and… I don’t know, maybe rescue them? The thought makes me want to laugh. What the fuck am I going to do against a gang of thugs? Sure, I’m a decent shot with my bow, but could I really kill someone? And not just one person, but several?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. For Tobias, I would, because he’d do the same for me.
But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to be outnumbered and probably outgunned, too. While guns weren’t prevalent in the UK before the apocalypse, I’d be an idiot if I didn’t factor in that a notorious gang like the Scourge would have access to that kind of weaponry. At the very least, they’d have a shotgun or two, like Andy does, and my bow will be useless against that.
Across the table, Andy is quietly regarding me with an unreadable expression on his wrinkled face. Finally, he answers my question. “Their main camp is near Birmingham, on the south-eastern edge of what used to be the city centre. I’m not sure how old that intel is, but that’s their last known location.”
They’re all the way near Birmingham? Fuck, it’s going to take me several days to get there; probably even longer since it’s been a long time since I’ve ventured that far north and I don’t know the route. Plus, it’s going to be dangerous as hell and I might not be able to travel along the motorway, which would be the fastest route.
“Tamsin—Rachel’s partner—already left yesterday to go find help. She’s going to find this settlement we’ve heard about that’s on the south coast of Wales. I would have gone after her, but well, my joints aren’t what they used to be and someone needs to stay here to look after the livestock. If you leave soon, you might catch up to her.”
I nibble on my lower lip and play with the end of my hair as I mull everything over. Going after the gang to save Tobias and Rachel would be a suicide mission, even if I catch up to them before they reach their camp. Following Tamsin is the safer option, but can I risk leaving my brother and Rachel in the hands of these monsters for however long it takes for us to get help?
Hell,wouldthey even help us? I don’t see a reason for them to, especially since none of us are a part of their community and this rescue mission is going to be dangerous as fuck. And does Rachel’s partner even need me if she’s already determined to go there for their help?
I sigh heavily and rub my face. Neither option is great, but there’s only one that I can live with. I look up to meet Andy’s eyes. “I’m goingto try to reach them while they’re travelling and hope I can catch them off-guard.”
His eyes widen. He hadn’t expected me to say that. “What? Are you mad? That’s a bloody suicide mission!”
I shrug. “Probably, but I can’t stand the idea of leaving Tobias or your daughter in their hands for any longer than necessary.” That they’re at their mercy right now is making my stomach churn. “But I need to ask you a favour.”
He eyes me, probably dreading me asking him to risk his life alongside me or something. “What?”
“Toby’s wife is pregnant and with me leaving, she’s going to be all alone with my two ponies, Apple and Cinnamon. Do you think you could monitor them? Check in if I hand you a radio?” I’m pretty sure with the open fields that separate our two cottages, the radios should be in range of one another. I dig into my backpack, pull out the radio, and set it on the table between us.
He visibly relaxes as he glances at the radio before nodding. “I can do that. Hell, I can make sure they have enough food.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it.” It’s kind of ironic that it’s taken the world ending for me to get to know and kind of trust one of my neighbours. “I’ll find some way to pay you back.”
“Just bring my daughter, your brother, and yourself home safely.” He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “That’s all the payment I’ll ask for.”
I smile weakly and nod. There’s no point promising that I will. We both know how dangerous this rescue mission is going to be and how slim the chances of not only my survival, but Tobias’s and Rachel’s as well. It’s probably one of the stupidest things I’ve ever agreed to do, and I’ve done some stupid shit in my life. But I have totry.
While we wait for my clothes to get washed and dried, Andy makes me another cup of tea and I share pieces of goat jerky with Harlow. As we sip our tea and eat, I take this opportunity to ask if he has any idea how zombies even came to be. Unfortunately, he has no idea, and neither does anyone else that he’s spoken to.
Andy then launches into stories of other travellers he’s traded with; from elder couples just barely making it through to whole families with children who think they’re on the next big adventure. The stories help keep my anxiety at bay, but I can feel the panic and dread lurking in the background, waiting to pounce as soon as I let my guard down. Sleeping tonight is going to suck.
With my clothes now clean and dry, I rush back to the bathroom to get changed, loving the feel of warm, dry clothes against my skin. It’s a sensation I haven’t felt since the entire world went to shit and I savour it for a moment before making my way back down to the kitchen.
“What should I do with these?” I ask Andy as I hold up the hoodie and leggings I borrowed from Rachel.
“Keep them,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand before he turns around and disappears through another door. A moment later, he comes back holding a wicked-looking knife encased in a leather sheath. It’s the kind you see the military use, with one side dangerously sharp and the other serrated. “Here.” He holds the handle of the knife toward me. “If you’re going to insist on being that close to another one of those infected, at least have the proper tool for the job.”
