The Last Safe Place: A Zombie Novella Read Online Free Page B

Sarge.”
    I get close to his face. “It is now.”
    The deputy shakes his head and goes to say something, clamps his mouth shut instead. “No,” I tell him. “Don’t hold back.”
    “After what he did to that kid, why don’t you just put a bullet in his head?”
    “He’s just another mouth to feed, right? He’s a threat to the island? Is that what they say when I’m not around?”
    Him not responding is answer enough.
    “He’s alive because I say he stays alive. And that’s all anyone needs to worry about. Now get up there and clean out the damn cage.”
    The deputy makes himself scarce. This won’t win me any friends. Neither will letting him out. That’ll be a fun conversation to have with Reginald.
    I’ll just have to do it at night when no one’s looking. Give him a kayak. We have two dozen, and no one would notice if one was missing. And even if I get caught, even if they throw me into his cell, it won’t matter, because June might finally be better. I’d die happy to see her healthy.
    *
    Doc and Sophia are at the dock to show me off. They both give me deep, long hugs, like it’s the last ones they’ll ever give me. It’s not as comforting as they think it is. Doc says, “Medicine, if you can manage.”
    I wink at him. “Don’t worry. I have a plan.”
    Sophia says, “Everything’s in place.”
    The moored ferries cast a shadow over us. I nod toward them. “You know the back room under Fort Jay where we keep the emergency stock of gas?”
    “Yes.”
    “Send a crew down to get the barrels up here. If things go south, I want to be able to gas these things up quick.”
    She salutes because she knows it annoys me, then dashes off.
    The rook has dragged a table to the middle of the roadway and laid out the gear. I pull on the elbow, forearm and neck guards cobbled together from SWAT armor and sports equipment. I strap on a harness, so I can hold my bat at my belt like a sword, pull on my old duty holster for the SIG. I get everything in place, tighten straps and shuffle things around until I can move comfortably.
    The rook hands me a lacrosse mask but I push it away. It obscures my vision, makes it hard to turn my head. I’ll take a little risk if it means better mobility.
    The rook is suited up nearly the same as I am. He’s not wearing a mask either. He’s got a shotgun tied over his back, a machete strapped to one leg, and a bundle of road flares wrapped to the other.
    We go over the plan. We’ll come in just north of the Javits Center, cut across to the fish store, and then to the library. That’s as much as we can figure. The rest we have to play by the crowds.
    The rook asks, “Do we really need to hit the library?”
    “Being able to make some educated guesses at how long these things are a threat would be helpful. Maybe we’ll learn something that’ll help us fight them. I don’t know. I don’t like not knowing.”
    “I miss Google.”
    I smack his padded shoulder. “We all miss Google, kid.”
    Reginald has his legs swung out, dangling above the green, dingy water. The rope ladder is out, leading down to the watercraft. Seating for three, so it should be enough for me and the rook and the weapons, and then whatever we can bring back.
    “All gassed up, Sarge,” he says, hoisting a roll of duct tape. “There are two backpacks in the storage compartment, in case you get enough supplies that you need something to carry them. Like I said, try to get back before nightfall.”
    “I’d love that, Reg. More than anything in the world, I’d love that. What’s the duct tape for?”
    “Crack in the frame. Shouldn’t be an issue.”
    I climb onto the watercraft and the rook straddles me. I sit there for a minute, touch the controls. Every time I get on I expect it to explode, or fall apart, or sink to the bottom. To revolt against me using it. But it’s an inanimate object and it doesn’t have a memory. Thankfully.
    Reginald calls down to us. “Everything all right?”
    I