A Shooters Love

Chapter 12

The dense, smog cover forest had z's coming from left and right. All of us had our faces covered as to not breathe in the air. Addy took out z's with her bat, Warren drove her machete into the heads of some, and Vazquez watched Warren's back by taking some out with his gun. Doc used his crowbar on the ones close to him as 10k sniped the ones further away, I slashed through the z's that came at me as Murphy used his voodoo to drive some away from us before moving through the forest with us following him.

I was grateful that my arm was better and nothing was majorly broken or dislocated as I slashed through more z's and we got to the edge of the forest and broke through the trees and we saw a building a few feet away from us, "Looks like a hotel," Warren said as we moved closer to it. "I thought we killed all these zs last week," Doc asked as he uncovered his face, "Maybe the Grand Canyon filled up," Addy commented as we went to the doors. "That's not funny," Murphy said as Addy looked him dead in the eyes, "And I wasn't not kidding," Addy said.

"Let's check this out," Warren said as she tried the door but found it locked, "Nothing is ever easy," she said as she started banging on the door. "Anybody in there," she called out as I pressed my face against the clouded window, "Do you think it's abandoned?" I asked as Warren sighed and turned to Doc. "Let me have the crowbar I'm prying this door open," she said as a group of Z's started heading our way. "Warren whatever you're going to do you better do it quick," Vazquez said getting ready to shoot. I looked towards Murphy, "Can you do anything?" I asked pulling my own gun out, he looked skeptical at the large group headed towards us, "I can give it a try," he said.

He held his hands out towards them and closed his eyes to focus, the z's slowed down and then turned around as Murphy let out a breathe. "Why not break the glass," Doc asked as Warren continued to try and pry the door open. "Because I'm trying to prevent z's being able to get in," she said as we heard a noise from inside as the door swung open, "Hurry," a voice said as we all rushed inside. We took in deep breathes of stale air as the door was resealed, "Thank you," I said as we all looked up only to find a group with guns pointed towards us.

"Shit," Murphy said as we drew our guns on them, a man leaned on a tall stick and looked between his group and our, "Welcome," he said sarcastically. "Lower your weapons," Vazquez shouted but no one did, "Why don't you go back to where you came from," another shouted at us. "Look! None of us want to you hurt any of you but there is no way to many, there is z's outside for us to go back right now," Warren said, "Not much oxygen either," Doc coughed. A z banged on the window scaring everyone, "Which of you is in charge?" Warren asked looking at everyone.

"We don't have a leader here but I am the facilitator here. My name is Gideon Gould and everyone in this group participants in our decision making," the guy with the stick descended the stairs and walked in front of us. "Good to know," Warren began,"Listen my group and I just need a place to stay until this smog clears and those z's move else where." He nodded his head looking at each of us, "Okay, well I think in order for us to put together a mutually beneficial agreement, we're gonna need to do a little frame work of trust here," he said as everyone in his party agreed.
"Buddy I think we'd all have a lot more trust if everyone stooped pointing guns at each other," Murphy said from behind us. "Of course," Gideon turned and addressed his people, "It's okay everyone," he said as they looked weary but lowered their guns, Warren turned towards us and signaled us to do the same.

She put her hands across her chest, "Now what did you have in mind," she asked as Gideon still faced his group, "Anybody have any ideas?" He asked. "Popcorn circle?" a woman with short blonde hair suggested as Gideon thought it over for a moment before smiling, "You know what that is exactly what I had in mind. Come on done here," he said as she also descended the stairs. "What the hell is this? Movie night?," Murphy mumbled next to me as I shrugged my shoulders. "May I," she asked for the stick, "Don't worry its a tool not a weapon. We call this the talking stick and we use it to facilitate dialogue ," she said. "What?" Doc asked confusion written on his face, "Basically we make delicious by passing it around the circle like a bowl of popcorn. Only the person who is holding the stick is allowed to speak," she explained to us, "Oh so speak softly, Carry a big stick," Doc said.