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Chapter 29

1 Hordes

Dale and Ken had sat in silence in their Durango listening to the drama unfold Neither one of theestions as they had heard the desperate voices over the cackling of the radio Once or twice they had each uttered ‘shit’ or ‘dammit,’ but otherwise had been silent

When the word cah of relief and collapsed against the dashboard "Oh, God, I was praying so hard I thought et ate," Dale decided "Guess that proves the Baptists wrong, eh? The hot lesbians live to kiss another day"

"You’re really sick, you know," Ken chided flirtatiously

"Yeah, I know," Dale answered, winking "And that’s why you like me"

Ken blushed deeply

In Bill and Katarina’s Durango, they too had listened in silence, their fingers intertwined It was far too easy to iht of losing each other was too much to bear

At last, when they knew that the wohtly

"I love you, Bill," Katarina whispered

"I love you, Kit-Kat," he answered, giving her a gruff kiss

"Durango Two, prepare to depart," Kevin’s voice said through the radio static

"That’s us, honey," Bill said, kissing her onered braid then sat back in the driver’s seat and steadied his nerves Shifting into drive, he looked up at the helicopter drifting into view "Let’s hope it goes better for us"

"I’ awfully fierce," Katarina answered softly "But if it’s our tiives us time to do e need to"

With sadness in his eyes, Bill nodded

"Durango Two, depart," Kevin said

"We almost lost Bette and Linda," Travis said to Katie and Juan as they entered the communication center "But they’re okay"

"Shit," Juan uttered "How?"

"Runners Sounds like they ended up with more than they expected and there were some miscalculations They’re on the helicopter now A little battered, but okay" Travis ran his hands over his hair and then rubbed his face "They’re okay"

"And they got a lot of zoy added froood"

"So the plan is working" Katie sat down in a chair and ran her hand gently over her large stoain He was perched on the edge of a table "I told o"

"You couldn’t stop her fro with Bette," Katie rehed and rubbed his day old stubble

"Who’s the bait now?"

"Bill and Katarina," Peggy replied One of her well-ainst the ear piece of her headset "They just got the word to move ahead"

Katie silently reached out to Travis and he took her hand Giving her a sers

"Bill knows those roads He’ll be fine," Travis assured her

Katie gave him a hopeful, yet solemn look

Don’t scream don’t scream don’t scream don’t scream don’t sceamKatarina’s o idled at the next crossroads waiting for the lury dead They clogged up the road, filled the ditches and extended into the trees

Despite the air conditioner being set to recycle the air in the Durango, the stench was growing unbearable

Thousands of outstretched hands reached toward their vehicle as the zoray and somewhat blackened by the sun Their bristled hair stood up around their heads in the hunizable as they clung to their deco and old, shans of runners and that was a relief

"Dear God, Bill, one is in a wheelchair," Katarina gasped

A terribly eaten zo swept along by the other bodies around it

Bill arched his neck to see, then began to laugh his huge bellowing chuckle "Shit, babe, don’t that beat all"

A tiny little boy, a cap still on his head, baseball bat in one hand, his cherubic face soed on the door with his fist Katarina leaned over into the backseat to look down at hiuer banging on his Moarowled