Wildfire - A Fanfiction

Chapter Thirteen

Georgia was placing bricks to create flowerbeds while Kami rolled over bags of topsoil in a wheelbarrow. A few others were tearing down a residential fence to create a larger space for the garden, and the head gardener was overseeing the putting up of greenhouse tents nearer to the school.

It was hard work, but Georgia was getting used to it.

A few days after they arrived there were hushed rumors about another person gone missing. She didn't think much of it until a week later when a gardener that was helping to plan a new layout for the garden vanished too. Now she had a face to go with the newly probably dead.

Few looked for any bodies and even fewer people spoke about Matthieu at all. Anyone who did only disagreed on his new despotic ration system or mission to push boundaries in the very quiet of the night, far away from prying eyes or ears. Most had lost someone to the beserker-like fever to kill zombies in the first days and weren't interested in joining them. Georgia couldn't help but think of Jon and hoped that Kami and Alex would never be picked to leave the fence with someone like Matthieu by their side.

A loud ruckus like people shouting came from the street on the other side of the school.

Bert called over to Georgia. "Go check that out, would you?"

Brushing dirt off her jeans, she stood up and headed away from the garden.

When she reached the street she couldn't help but gape at the wave of people rushing toward the gate. Following the crowd, she quickly reached the gate as it shuddered closed, evidently letting in seven people. Six of them were familiar, armored meatheads specially commissioned to raid nearby towns and kill anything they could get their hands on. One of them was a short woman, with a long braid and strange dark sunglasses. Her arms were crossed and she looked as if she wished to be anywhere but there.

Georgia got on her toes to get a better look but froze as Marc stepped beside her.

"Things are getting worse. I'm going east before I'm caught in anything. Meet me at the fence at dusk if you and the others want to come with me."

When she turned to him, he was gone, vanished into the mass of people.

The crowd parted to make way for Matthieu. He approached the stranger spoke a few words. The stranger kept her armed crossed.

A moment later he turned to the crowd and raised a hand, silencing them. "We have a guest! Residents of Redhill Stronghold, this is Trinity, a friend. She has saved the lives of six of our fellow survivors beyond the fence. She is welcome for as long as she wishes to stay."

He turned back to the stranger, smiling while clapping her shoulder. Smirking slightly, Georgia could see that the stranger was resisting the urge to shake him off. Matthieu walked away and the crowd dissipated.

The stranger stayed by the fence, taking in the new surroundings. Georgia turned back to the garden.

Kami leaned on a wheelbarrow, looking at her quizzically. Bert joined her. "What's the deal?" she asked.

"One of Matthieu's special task forces returned."

Bert cleaned his hands on an old bandana. "That's hardly any reason to get so excited," he said gruffly.

"They brought someone back this time. Apparently she saved their life and Matthieu wants us to treat her like a guest."

"Sounds weird," Kami grumbled. "They didn't make a huge fuss when we arrived. And they definitely don't treat us like guests."

"Okay ladies," Bert patted the wheelbarrow. "Back to work."

Georgia resumed laying bricks. Kami started working beside her.