Dead.

Chapter Nine

"Made a decision?" She questioned to break her own thoughts and Jay nodded,

"We're heading for the city before dawn, rest up if you're coming." He advised and Francis and David grumbled in agreement. Cass gave a mock salute to them. With any luck, this would go off without a hitch and she glanced to Jeffrey.

"You bringing people?" She asked him and Jeffrey gave a cocky grin towards them.

"I got my best fighters ready for the job. Come meet them." He invited. Francis declined in favour of gathering a few of his own to take along.

"We'll take two vehicles, leave them outside the city so there's a place to rendezvous when the time comes." Francis said in parting, likely a warning for the amount of people they could bring on the task.

David did accept Jeffrey's offer along with Cass as they moved to follow him towards the squalid homes. There were more men than women but the ages ranged surprisingly but there were no children, Cass noted. She figured there was a good reason for that, it wasn't as though they had numerous children running around, it was a hazard and children didn't exactly live long and they slowed groups, people were smarter than to bother with kids nowadays. Cass eyed over Jeffrey's offerings, they at least were strong and Jeffrey took a seat on a half way decrepit porch. He gestured for the other two to sit and Cass accepted as she lowered herself down to sit with him.

"Been a while since they've had a roof over their head." Jeffrey remarked, "We were on the road for a while." He kicked his feet up on the rickety fencing that surrounded the porch area and Cass nodded, she supposed it would be a big change for them.  David seemed more suspicious and Cass eyed him over, wary the two might come to a head.

"What's in it for you?" David asked after a moment and Cass figured the question was fair, their leadership right then was fractured given Peter's actions and Jeffrey offered up a crooked smile and a shrug of his shoulders.

"You people are sitting on a goldmine, there's walls and there's houses. I got people to feed, shelter and protect. Now, I know at any moment you could ask me to leave but if I make my staying here worth it, then you won't. Is it so hard to understand? And mark my words, the dead are bad enough but there's other groups out there that have been on the road a lot longer than us and would quite literally kill for this place and they will." Jeffrey remarked and chuckled some at the thought, as though it was some big game. A child's idea of hide and seek.

Cass was unsure of exactly how many were still out there, alive. They had picked up stragglers before, strays that had somehow survived everything so she knew there were pockets but Jeffrey's group had been the first in a long time that she had seen come rolling by. David's jaw clenched some at his statement, mostly because he knew it was true and Jeffrey looked over his own men.

"They might be rough around the edges, but they can fight, they're strong and they know how to handle themselves and these men will have your backs the same as mine. They want to come home too." Cass knew that was probably true and she ran a hand down her face, it might be a suicide mission though and they might not come home. Everyone was preparing to leave and some of Jeffrey's men were wrapping leather strappings around their arms. Cass watched them, it didn't take a genius to figure out why. The undead teeth were still just human teeth so an extra layer of protection couldn't hurt really.

"Alright boys, you've got a half hour, wrap it up and let's get this show on the road. Gavin, you'll be driving. We're going to the highway; we leave the cars there then we walk the rest. If anyone gets separated then we meet there at sunset. We'll wait an hour for any stragglers, after that you're on your own so you better make sure your asses are where they need to be." Jeffrey called out and was met with a level of fraternity cheers and whoops.