Don't Be Scared

S.1 E.2 ~ FZ (Ch. 8)

Lowering our tensed, uneasy hands, the stranger began to move his opposable thumb to hook through the dirty blue jean loops, letting the rest of his hand rest on his hip bones.

"Sorry. We ain't running a taxi service." Murphy rudely stated.

But for some reason, I didn't mind his cruelty  this time. He's right. We aren't running any kind of service here. We have a more important mission to attend.

"Which way are you headed?" Charlie requested.

Of course. I felt a warm brace wrap around my wrist. Suddenly, I was tugged towards 10K, now standing beside the charcoal haired male. The sharp shooter let go of my wrist once he had me where he wanted me standing.

What is he doing?

"First rule, you can't be scared and don't show you are. You'll give them an advantage over you." He whispered, keeping an eye on the target but he spoke towards me.

Don't be scared. He's right.

"Word is there's a horde on the move south of New York side," Seeing that we are losing interest in him, he had to figure out a way to catch our attention, "I see that you're scrounging for gas. You know like we use to say, 'ass, gas, or grass'. Nobody rides for free. I know where you could fill up."

Of course, he does. 

"Now would be the time to share that information." 

Warren cocked her gun, yet again, while Charlie didn't move to grab his holstered weapon. Always letting her get the torture part.

"Place called Jersey Devil Refinery. Maybe five miles out, just off the turnpike."

"How do you know there's gas there?" Charlie inquired, questioning the knowledge of the male.

"Got overrun day one. All the tanks are still full, just rusting away."

How does he know this? Was he there when this happened? Charlie and Warren turned to look at one another, having a mental conversation before turning back to our suspect in custody.

"Alright, take us to this refinery and if there's gas there like you say, you can ride with us to the next outpost." Charlie bargained.

Charlie has the words of an expert while Warren always has the upper hand of the suspicious strangers that cross our path. 

"You won't be sorry." The guy sealed the deal.

"You got that right." 

Warren finally released her weapon to the holster, giving in. Everyone followed her lead, allowing the tension to die down but always keep our guard up.

"Let's get out of here. New guy's gonna ride with me and Warren. Everybody else load up in the truck." Charlie ordered our new assigned vehicles.

"So, are we just gonna pick up every sketchy loser at every place we stop?" Murphy whined.

As Murphy and I passed one another, I spoke up, "Well, we brought you, didn't we?"

"Nobody consulted me." Warren agreed.

I turned my head to smile at her, turning back around as we walked back to the pickup truck and Tahoe that happily awaited our arrival.

"We're not really going to California with this guy, are we?" 10K asked from behind me.

"You know the apocalypse is a lot like rehab, kid. Just take it one day at a time and then do the next indicated thing. In this case, that means get more gas." Doc tried to be philosophical with picking up a, more than likely, deadly stranger. 

I snickered, "And after that, Doc?"

Mack took the spot beside me with Addy right behind him.

"After that, who knows? We're doomed."

Mack assisted me into getting in the bedding first, then he and Addy got into the backseat. Murphy followed behind them while Doc and Cassandra got in the front seats. 10K had no choice but to load up in the bedding with me.

"So, are you going to become my mentor now?" I smiled up at him as we sat beside each other. 

10K only shrugged at my silly question. Not much of a talker. At least he has a small baby smile from time to time. 

After about ten minutes of 10K and I sitting in the bedding of the truck, I finally got tired of sitting and stood up. Following my lead, 10K stood up as well. We could see the refinery off into the distance, just like the guy had promised. 

There's got to be some kind of trick to this. All good things have bad things protecting it. We parked a couple of feet inside the refinery. When we all got out to study the black spray painted structure, we noticed the horde of Zs that trailed to the top of the stairs. 

10K jumped off after Doc had shut his door, heading towards one of the buildings. Well, jeez, don't wait for Charlie to tell you what to do. I stayed in the bedding, leaning over to the left side of the ledge. 

I leaned my head on my hands as my elbows were used as a support beam for my head. Mack and Addy got on either side of me while the rest of them made a circle around us. Charlie and Warren, of course, were at the head of this circle. 

Doc and Murphy on the right of us, and Cassandra and the newbie to the left. 

"They seem to want something in there real bad." Warren noted.

"It's the sound. Like bees to honey." I noticed the sound that was pounding at the top of it.

Mack had to use a stick and a garbage can to make a loud noise so the Zs would be attracted to him and not me when this outbreak had first happened. Saved my life that day. 

"Or Zs to shit." Murphy used a very negative word.

Yet, I found myself just rolling my eyes at the comment.

"Hey, you know about this?" Charlie's eyebrow raised in the direction of the newest addition.

"Hey, all the easy gas is gone." The guy shrugged, keeping that sly grin plastered across his dirty face.

What is he planning to do?

"So, what's the brilliant plan?" Murphy fussed with sarcasm tearing open the once nice sentence, "Die, get eaten, go home early?"

"What's that smell?" Addy asked, pushing herself from off of the truck.

"The undead and gasoline." The newbie smiled at her, then turned to look at the large building.

"Both highly flammable. So, no firearms of any kind." Charlie warned, putting his firearm back into the holster.

Everyone followed suit. Jokes on them, I don't have a gun to begin with.

"So, how do you want to handle this?" 

Warren turned around to study the knot that needed to be relieved.

"Well, first, we got to shut off whatever's making the noise."

The father of this group started to break down the equation, slowly.

"Okay, it's probably some kind of pump." 

Warren nodded at her own words.

"But where?" Charlie poked at the theory, folding one arm over his waist while placing his elbow on top of the forearm. 

The man's index and thumb started to rub the furry beard he had started to grow months ago.

|| "First rule, you can't be scared and don't show you are." ||