The Dead Live (Book 3)

Chapter 31: The Plan (Bens POV)

I stood there for a little while, as I did not have much of a response back to what it was that Shannon had just said to me. It was clear that she had a lot of time to think all of this through, while I had been gone over the last couple of days at the very least.
It seemed like a good plan, but I still was a bit worried about the gun shots, even if we had people on the towers, to supposedly protect us from the dead out side, I had seen had torn up our walls had been, and I was fairly certain that it would not take all that much to get them down.
That had to be one of the first plans that we must do, as soon as we got the community back to in a safe living condition. How did we know that there was any one left alive? From all that I knew so far, almost all of the people that had made it through the attack, had been out side of the walls when it had all gone down.
Besides the lucky few that had hid in a good spot, as to where they did not get found. I was glad that Liam was smart enough to do so as well, as I was glad that he was still with me. I did not want to think about him dying, or even much worse, him getting stuck in a place where they did terrible things to the kids, like Tony had told me.
I still was not sure if I trusted him just yet or not, as I could not rule it out that my sister might have betrayed us all along. Luckily Aidan had gone with us, and he knew about all of that, and all that might have happened. I was sure that he was going to get his people to a safe place, but they might have to travel far for it.
I was not sure if we were ever going to talk to them again, even if Shannon had a device that she could use to call them at any time they wanted, which Aidan had left for her, so that we could stay in close contact with her. I still was not sure if I trusted Aidan, but nothing he had said was a lie so far.
I just was not sure who it was that I even should trust right now, as I was almost scared to trust Christian, as I did not know if he was a part of this or not either. The only person I felt like I could trust, was my own brother, and I felt like that did not mean all that much, as he was far too young to do any thing about that.
I shook my head, as I was not sure if this was a safe place for us to live any ways, as I began to think back on it. The last community, that had fallen due to the hands of these same people, did not have any sort of survivors, which I felt like made quite a bit of sense, as they were a lot smaller than ours, with maybe 2 or 3 hundred so people living in it.
I felt like it might be a better idea for us just to leave, and take all of the survivors with us, as I felt like the people that had in fact attacked us, would eventually come back to make sure that they finished off with what it was that they had started with in the first place.
I lifted my head up, as I thought about it for a while, as it seemed like Christian and Shannon were feeling a bit better about all of this, as it was clear that they had not thought on what it was that I had just been thinking on. I looked at the both of them for a little bit of some time, until I finally began to speak up to Shannon after a little bit more time had come to pass.
"Why are we going to live here? Wont they come back for us? You all said that there waa no survivors found at the old place, so who is to say they don't come back to finish us off, as we are even weaker than we were before..." I asked of her. She looked at me for just a few moments, as she squinted her eyes at me at the same time too.
It was clear to me how ever, that she had not thought at all on what it was that I had said to her before now. I saw Christian nod, as it was clear to me that he was trying to say that I had a fairly good point. I nodded to my self, as I felt a bit proud for me, as for once I had not made my self to look like an idiot.
I stared at Shannon for a little while longer, as I saw that she had a bit of a blank look on her face, as if she was not thinking about any thing at all, but I did not let that fool me how ever, as I was sure that she was well aware as to what it was that I had said to her just now, as she was just thinking of some sort of response to it at the very least.
Shannon seemed to be staring at the ground, as after a little bit longer, I saw her lift her head at to me. To my surprise though, which I did not see hardly ever from her, as I was not sure if I had ever seen her be that way ever before, she had a bit of a sad look on her face, as it was clear to me that she was in quite a bit of some pain.
I tilted my head a little bit, as I was a bit lost, as to what it was that was going on with her, it almost looked like she had a bit of a look of guilt and regret on her face, which confused me quite a bit. I stared at her for a little while longer, as I saw her then shake her head at me, and then she began to speak back to me as well, as I listened to hear what it was that she had to respond to me with at the same time as well.
"No they are not coming back for us... Well, not any time soon at the very least..." She said to me. I looked at her, as I was a bit confused on what it was that she was getting at. Had she scared them off, and made them run off some how? It seemed to make sense as to that being the case, but at the same time too, I also knew that did not.
It made sense a lot more sense as to why they would just stay here on finish us off, not to me at the least, as I was not evil, but if I was to think in their kind of mind set, I was sure that they had come here to kill us, just to make sure that they did not have to worry about us any time in the near future.
What did not make sense to me, was that she had some how found a way to scare them off, before they could finish us. Even if she did any ways, it still did not make sense for us to live here, as it was clear that our home was no longer a safe place to live, not just by the walls, but also due to the fact that they knew about us.
They could come back any time they so ever please, and finish off with what it was that they had even started off with in the first place. I shivered at the thought of that, as I still was not too sure as to what it was that Shannon was getting at, and why she was shutting down us leaving this place.
It seemed to make the most sense to me, as it seemed like that to Christian as well. The only reason that I felt like she would be saying no to it, was because she did not want us to leave our home. Did we have much of any other choice though, if we were to risk the lives of even more people by staying here?
I shook my head, as I stared at Shannon for a little bit longer, as she seemed to have the same blank look as before, as it was clear that she was still thinking through her head, on what it was that I has just said to her a few seconds ago. It was not a good look I felt, as I was starting to get a little bit worried now, on all of this.
It made sense for us to clear out the home, which I wholeheartedly agreed on her with that, as I knew that it would get people a safe place to get out of their homes, so that they could get food and water. At the same time too though, I also knew it did not make sense as to why she wanted to stay here, if they were coming back to us.
I stood there for a bit longer, as it seemed like she did not want to look back up to me. I then began to hear the voice of Christian step up to speak finally on all of this, as I turned my head over to him, at the exact same time as well, and then I listened to hear what it was that he had to say back to her clearly.
"The kid has a fair point... Even if they don't come back soon, they will come back at some point, and we don't have enough people to fend them off this time..." He said back to her. I looked at him for a little while longer, as I thought back on what it was that Shannon had just said a few moments before now.
I then nodded to Christian at the same time too, even though it was clear to me that he was not paying me any sort of attention at the moment. Which I did not blame him for it either, as I knew that there was a lot of questions that we needed answers from Shannon at the exact same time as well.
I turned my head, and I squinted my eyes at Shannon. At first, I had thought that I had got to her head for once, which I was almost proud of my self for, as I saw a bit of a worried, and guilty look on her face for some odd reason or another. I tilted my head, as I was a bit lost by it as well.
It was clear that Christian had noticed it too, as I saw from the corner of my eye, that he had his eyes squinted on her as well. As I stared at Shannon for a bit longer though, I saw she did not have the guilty look on her face because of me at all how ever. I dipped my head a bit low, though I kept my eyes on her, as I was a bit disappointed in my self for it.
Shannon turned her head around, as it seemed like she was looking at her surroundings for some odd reason or another at the current moment. I saw that she still had that same worried look on her face too, all the while that she was doing so, which confused me even more.
After a little bit more time had passed how ever, I saw Shannon turn her head back over to me and Christian, as she then nodded to the both of us. I thought that she was about to speak to the both of us at first, but for some reason, she instead waved her hand, to get us to come closer to her, as if she was about to let us in on a little bit of a secret.
I was not sure as to what it was that it could be, or why she might even be hiding some thing in the first place, that she did not want any one else to hear, but I moved my self a bit closer to her with Christian, as we stared at her, as if she was about to whisper her little secret to the both of us.
She let out a bit of a soft sigh, as she looked around her one more time, to make sure that no one was near her, and that they would not be listening to what it was that she was about to say to the both of us. She then looked back over to us after some more time had passed, and she then nodded to us as she began to speak to the both of us quietly. I nodded to her, as I was a bit suspicious by all of this, but I listened to hear what it was that she had to say to me and Christian any ways.
"Look... There is a reason that they did not kill most of us, and that they killed the council in front of me, and made me watch..." She said to us. I looked at her for a few moments, as I was a bit lost on what it was that she was getting at, as I looked over at Christian, as I saw quite the look of suspicion on his face at the same time too.
I thought that they had just made her watch her council get killed in front of her, as if it were just some sort of sick game to all of them, but as I saw a bit of a strange look in her eyes, I was starting to think that it might have been for a different reason all together, which I was not sure if I wanted to hear about it.
Surely she was not about to tell us that she had betrayed us right? If that were the case, than why were we not all dead? And why would she even want to betray her own community that she led in the first place? I shook my head all at the same time, as I tried my best to shake off all of those thoughts that were swarming through my skull.
As I stared at Shannon, I saw her looking around once again, as I could still see a very worried look on her face, as it was clear that she was not sure if she should say what it was that she was about to say to us. I was a bit lost, as I still was not sure whether or not I should be upset with all that was going on with her.
As I stood there for a bit longer, it did not seem like she wanted to continue with where it was that she had left off on her supposed secret. Luckily for me though, Christian began to speak to her, to get her attention back on us, and back on the fact that she had been speaking to us before now.
I looked at Shannon for a few more seconds, as I saw that she finally managed to stop looking around her with such a worried look, as she turned her head back over to Christian, as she stared at him, and then she blinked her eyes just a few times at him, at the exact same time too.
I was still a bit suspicious with Shannon, as to matter what excuse you tried to come up for her, I could tell that she was not the same as she had been before, after what it was that she had to witness in front of her very own eyes. I shook my head though, as I turned my eyes over to Christian, and then I listened to what it was that he had to say back to Shannon, to get her attention as well.
"What exactly is that reason, and how is it supposed to make us suddenly safe?" He said back to her. I looked at Christian for a little bit of some time, as I then nodded to him at the same time too. He was always short and sweet with his words, but he never failed to get straight to the point, as it was clear he felt like he did not have time for useless talk.
Shannon stared at Christian for a little bit of some time, as if she had not heard a word that he had just said to her at all. I rolled my eyes, as I let out a bit of a soft sigh at the same time too. It felt like even if Christian was trying to get straight to the point, with out any kind of bullshit, it seemed like Shannon was going to hold this off for as long as possible either way.
I almost wanted to give it all up, and go back home and get some sleep, so that I could tell my brother that we were safe now. We were wasting so much time just standing here, and it was getting on my nerves a fair bit, as I looked up at the sky, seeing the sun starting to dip low in the horizon.
If there were any dead left, I did not want to be out there for it, like I had been just a few nights ago. That had been one of the most scary nights of my life, as I had not only been afraid for my own life, but I was worried that if Liam was in fact still alive, than he could be in a lot of trouble.
Luckily enough for me as well, he was in fact still alive. I shook my head at the same time too how ever, as I felt like I should not be getting all too worried on all of this at the moment, as I just wanted Shannon to go ahead and get to the point that we were waiting for her to get to.
"Well... While they were holding down my council because we had been at a meeting that day, I managed to convince the man to make a deal... He would have killed us all if it were not for me..." She said to us. I looked at her for a little bit of time, as I was a bit confused on what it was that she was even getting at.
It was clear that she might have in fact betrayed us how ever, which was not a good look for her at all, as I squinted my eyes at her. I saw her look around once again, just to make sure that no one was near us, and that no one was listening to what it was that she was saying to us right now.
It was starting to make sense to me how ever, as it made sense as to why she did not want any one else to hear what it was that she had to say to us, just based off of the fact that she had started it off with the fact that she had admitted to the fact that she had made a deal with them. What the deal exactly was, I was not sure as to what it could be.
I could see that Shannon was in a fair amount of pain no matter what, and I was not sure if whether or not I should feel bad for her at all. I was still a bit suspicious with what it was that she had just said to the both of us, as I just stared at her for a bit more of some time, as I was still annoyed with her not getting to the point.
Christian was a bit annoyed by it as well, as I saw him roll his eyes at her, as he then decided that he was going to speak back to her, after he not continuing to speak, for just a few more seconds of silence. I turned my head over to him, as I listened to hear what it was that he had to say back to her at the exact same time as well.
"If you are trying to convince us that you are Jesus, that is not going to work... You made a deal with them, which involved you having to watch your own council die? That sounds like a fairly fucked up deal if you have to ask me..." He said back over to her at the same time too.
I looked at him for a bit of time, as I almost wanted to laugh on what it was that he had said, but at the same time too, I also realized that this was not exactly any sort of a laughing matter, as I knew a lot of those people that were in that council, as many of them were great people, and it was not funny at all that they had been slaughtered like cattle.
I dipped my head a bit low to the ground, as I felt sick thinking on all of those thoughts, as I had been there that day that we had found Shannon laying in the graves of her dead council. I shivered, as was just as confused as Christian was, on what it was that she had been getting at.
I was fairly certain that she had not made a deal with them, as to where she would have to see her own council get murdered in front of her, but at the same time too, the pieces were starting to click together, as to the fact that there were still some people left alive in our community.
I still was a bit lost on what it was that the deal had exactly been how ever, as I squinted my eyes at Shannon, as I waited for her to respond to the question that Christian had just asked. She seemed to have her head down low to the ground for a bit of some time how ever.
She eventually did lift her head back up to him, as I saw a single tear drop from one of her eyes. I could tell that there was a lot of regret on her face, as she felt hurt by a lot of things. She stared at Christian for a little bit of some time, as she then nodded to him, and then she began to speak back to him, as I listened to what it was that she had to say to him as well.
"No... That was not a part of the plan..."