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Chapter 18

1 When Truths Are Revealed No One Is Safe

The low hu was joined in hared up over the new area of the fort and a tea the issues with the gate The new area was still cut off fro ladders placed up on the wall and a sed the talls

As Katie walked across the site, she could hear Juan’s voice rising over the din She kneorking long hours to get the first gate working properly before the second gate went up It was dangerous work and stress levels were high Occasionally, a zombie would try to attack the construction workers The sharp-eyed former hunters on sentry duty would take them down As more and more people flooded into their tiny fort, it was evident that space was fast beco of the hotel was the talk of everyone at dinner Things wereforward because they had to

Travis was on watch at the far side of the fort, far away froate Shrouded in the darkness on his tiny watch platfor out at the now empty main street where so many zoainst the undead

Since that first big battle with the zombie horde, the main street had been eerily e a distant memory and a thick layer of dirt had covered the srass and wildflowers had taken root out on the main street and Katie suspected it would soon look like a little field in the country

But the terror of that crowd of zo in their desperation to reach the living had burned deeply into the psyche of those in the fort It had been decided that they had to keep the zo in a horde outside the fort Ideas were running ra, but after the alhter when the zo heavily scrutinized

Katie strode up the stairs to Travis’ side and he gave her a shts were cool Spring in Texas hts and warht and its fragrant tobacco sentle reminder of the man who had died for her

The sheer luck of the draw that enabled so many in the fort to survive that first hellish day still wore on Katie Call it survivor’s guilt, but it was not easy to deal with She knew for sure that Travis dealt with it as well Perhaps maybe all of the survivors suffered from it At times it was hard to talk of their life before and the people they had lost At other times there was relief in their conversations as they spoke of their future plans But it was like being caught between heaven and hell: both happy and sad to be alive

Travis glanced over her as she stepped onto the platforlanced back down the street

"I think I saw a few flashes down the road," he said "They looked alhts"

"Seriously? Think other survivors are coh at tis have learned to drive

Or re

Katie shivered at the thought "Well, since Laura’s remains tried to open that truck door, we haven’t seen any to think"

"Yeah, I know I keep hoping that what she did was so out her actions" Travis continued to stare down the street intently "The last thing we need is thinking zo her hands together Travis was obviously deep in thought They were both ill at ease with each other in this moment, which was not the norhed, but didn’t look at her He double-checked the spotlightpresently turned off- to ination It probably wasn’t headlights"

Katie rested her hand on his shoulder "No, not that"

Travis stood up and looked down at her "It’s okay I shouldn’t have tried to say anything I realized that during supper"

Katie shook her head "No, no, it’s okay I’m partially to blame I was rather pushy about it then chickened out"

Travis gave her a sheepish look "I’ve been kinda obvious, huh?"

Katie smiled warmly "Yeah, kinda"

Travis blushed and shook his head "Juan says I’hed "Yeah, hed "You’re so lucky to have had her My ex-fiancee and I never had what you did I was always trying to please her and uess I failed and she left I guess I’ht of Lydia hed

"Travis…"

"I know, I know, Katie I kno this goes down Yeah, I’ve tried to pretend, but I knew even duringto happen" Travis looked down at the rifle in his hands, then over at the street

"In this neorld you’ve been one of the good things in it Everything has changed and gone to hell, but you help make it tolerable"