Deadland Rising (part 3 of the Deadland Saga)

Ambition (Chapter 6)

New Eden was the exact opposite of Camp Fox in one manner. Whereas we had protected ourselves through seclusion, New Eden broadcasted their location to anyone for miles. Like most of Nebraska, the small town was surrounded by flatlands for as far as the eye could see.

The New Eden flag proudly flew at the front gate. The size of the flag reminded me of ones I'd seen while eating breakfast at Perkins restaurants, and I realized that was probably where they'd found it.

A mishmash of fencing at least ten feet high-layers of wire, wood, and poles-closed off New Eden from the rest of the world. When we pulled up to the gate, we were all asked to step out of our vehicle. I took a deep breath, feeling better that Clutch, Jase, Griz, and I were still together.

As Justin's men led us through the gate, I could now see the town, which looked like it had been an old, broken-down, small town before the outbreak. There were wood guard towers erected inside the fence. Every tower was manned, and every guard kept a wary eye and semi-raised weapon pointed in our direction. Everything was exactly as Marco described it except for one thing: there were none of the military vehicles and soldiers Marco had spoken about. If we wanted, I had a feeling we could've rammed through the gates in our Humvee, and they could've done little to stop us.

People emerged from around buildings. None looked too thin, and most looked relatively clean. Only a couple people could've passed as beggars. A medium-sized dog galloped forward to sniff Diesel. Diesel sniffed back, and they did a friendly "nice to meet you" doggie dance around each other.

"Buddy's harmless," a man who looked about my age said as he approached. "Unless you're a zed, then he turns into the Terror of the Plains. The rest of the time, he just trots wherever he feels like around town and startles the feral cats. But, they're the bosses around town. They keep the mice away." He walked alongside us. "The name's Charlie. I'd offer my hand, but we have a twenty-four hour quarantine period for travelers on the off chance you're infected and turn. I'll be one of your hosts tonight."

Justin stepped out of our Humvee, and we all watched as Marco pulled the vehicle into a garage to be locked away during our quarantine. As Justin approached us, Charlie spoke. "You'll want time to get settled in. I'll stop by later."

Justin motioned to town. "Here's New Eden. Well, sort of. This is the edge of town. The real town starts another block in. You'll get the tour after your quarantine is up. For your first night, you'll be staying in the building right over there." He pointed at a small brick building with a U.S. Postal Service emblem etched into the glass door.

He motioned for us to follow, and he started walking. Several guards kept their distance but made it clear they were herding us toward the building. I swallowed and took the lead, checking to make sure the rest of our group was right behind me. People stood around, watching us.

Justin held open the glass door, and I cautiously stepped in. Inside, six beds filled nearly the entire space. When Clutch entered, I saw him take in the whole place-no doubt searching for weaknesses, surveillance, and whatever it was he always looked for. As for me, I looked for places that would be safe from zeds, bad guys, and animals. Beyond that, I didn't know much else to look for.

"We don't have enough beds for everyone. We'll see if we can't scrounge up some mats, but at least it's only for one night," Justin said. "Truth is, we haven't come across any groups larger than four in months."

"Believe me, we've slept in worse conditions," I said.

Justin motioned around. "You have free run of this building, but you can't leave. There are guards stationed outside every wall. There's a single toilet and sink right down the hall. It's not much. What you see is what you get."