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CHAPTER 21
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Closing the door behind us, Derek gestured for me to take a seat on my bed. He pulled my desk chair over to sit across from me.
Derek inhaled a deep, shaky breath before speaking. "Derek wasn't my name in school, and my hair was much shorter. I used to have my basketball number marked on the back of my head like a lot of the guys. I think I know why you don't remember me. I was older, and we ran in completely different crowds. Plus, I was a Junior, and you were a Freshmen."I searched his face, trying to place him. Freshmen year was the year they diagnosed Mom with cancer. It was the roughest year of my life since her survival odds were so low. Mom's operation to remove the mass had been bad, but the chemo afterward had been even worse.My mother was a cancer survivor going on three years, and an awful virus had taken her from me in one day.Life is a nasty bitch.I'd somehow made it onto Varsity during Freshmen year, but I was so worried about my mother I barely remeRelated chapters
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 22
Suzie was right. The cold chili was disgusting, but we still ate our fill.Somehow the guys had found several cans of baby formula for Mindy. She had a few large packages of diapers and wipes too, but not nearly enough to get us through the next month.I was grateful we had enough for a couple of weeks, but it worried me to think about what we would have to do once her supplies ran out.Mindy was currently sitting on my lap eating Cheerios. At least she could eat solids. I didn't know much about babies, but I assumed since they were usually introduced to baby food before they could walk, Cheerios would be okay.After Derek and I emerged from my bedroom, Thomas was doing his best not to ask about the status between us. Thomas assumed something because there were several occasions when I could feel the heat of his eyes on me, and when I'd glance at him, he would look away.I cared about Thomas, but it was too much to wrap my mind around right now. We were friends, and I
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 23
Ushering Suzie and Grant into the laundry room, I handed Mindy over to Grant. I glanced around the small space, trying to locate what Thomas had left for me. I had a suspicion it was a gun. I could only hope.Just as I spotted one of our thick comforters hanging over the side of the washing machine, the pounding on the door repeated as someone hollered from outside."I'm coming." Jim let out a heavy cough as he hollered. "Hold your horses. I can't move like I used to."Grabbing the blanket, I threw it at Suzie. "Cover Mindy's ears and cover yourselves up. You guys have to stay quiet and hide. Grant, you too. If anything happens, I need you to take care of Suzie and Mindy.""I will." Grant's lips pressed together as he nodded, pointing at the washing machine. "Thomas hid it behind there.""What?" I asked."The gun," Grant whispered.Thank God. Thomas had thought of this situation.Suzie crawled under the counter, which was as far away from the door as she coul
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 24
Jim was dead.Thankfully, Derek woke up on his own while I was looking for another shirt.Other than some nasty bruises, Derek was okay. What worried me most was the giant lump on Derek's forehead. Jenson had pistol-whipped him, and I was concerned Derek might have a concussion.I had no regrets about killing Jenson and Crazy Eyes. Maybe one day I would have to deal with what I'd done, but tonight I was just grateful we were all alive.Derek helped me get Thomas to my bed, and Thomas fell into a fitful sleep after I gave him some ibuprofen for the pain.Derek said he wanted some alone time in the garage. I didn't know much about concussions, but I knew sleep was bad. Derek promised to stay awake, so I didn't protest when he disappeared. I knew I would have to check on him regularly.Grant silently agreed to stay with Suzie for the night, so I could stay awake and keep watch.There were still five dead men in the house plus Jim, but everyone was too exhausted to
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 25
Suzie"Psst. Squirt," Thomas whispered from across the room. "Psst. Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey."I rubbed my eyes, trying to get them to open. Once they obeyed, I was happy to see the sun was finally up.I stretched before searching for Mindy. That baby girl was the best way to make me smile in the morning."There's my little sis," Thomas said in a quiet voice.I rolled to face Thomas, forcing myself not to say anything about how awful his nose looked.Thomas waved me over to the side of the bed. Since everything happened last night we hadn't done anything, but go to sleep.My night had been hell.I needed to apologize to Grant. Again.My brain had started playing crazy tricks on me at night. It all started the night Mom nearly took a bite out of my face. It was difficult to figure out what was real and what wasn't.Last night, I had a hard time falling asleep knowing Jim and those men wer
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 26
CaseyWaiting for the dead to attack ended up being the longest twenty minutes of my life.Unsure of what to expect, I was practically hyperventilating when the shambling horde of hungry biters was only a few houses away. Zombies couldn't throw rocks through our windows or use weapons of any kind other than their own bodies, but it didn't make our circumstances any less terrifying.When the group finally made it to the road in front of my house, it surprised me to see they were somewhat docile, at least for now. It appeared as if they were moving just to move with no designated stopping point.The decaying skin on their faces wasn't easy to look at especially around their eyes and mouths where the heaviest rot had set in. Their red eyes were void of any white and appeared to be sinking further into their skull, making their eye sockets and cheekbones extremely dominant.So
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 27
For two days we did our best to stay invisible.We didn't know how many biters were in the area and since that huge group moved through, we all thought it was better to lay low and prepare to leave. Since Thomas was healing, it was best to wait a couple days, anyway. I didn't want to disrupt his recovery.As luck may have it, Derek was able to move Jenson's vehicle into the garage before the biters took their morning stroll through my front yard. So if Jenson had any friends that come looking there would be no sign of exactly where his crew went. I wasn't so sure that moving their vehicle would deter Jenson's friends, but I hoped it would.The best I could figure was that Jenson and his people most likely had access to the high school's record system. I could only assume that was how Jenson found me. He'd probably seen plenty of my pictures on the trophy shelves. I had to hope his crew of five were the only people trying to take over the school.I couldn't stomach the th
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 28
"Locked and loaded?" Derek curled his hand over my shoulder, moving his thumb back and forth."Yeah." The seatbelt bit into my neck when I turned to face him. "I'm scared. What if we don't all get there in one piece?"Derek rested his elbows on the door and bent to look me straight in the eyes. His eyes were a warm blue in the sunlight. "We'll take this slow and steady. You stay on my tail and stay close. If anything happens, and we get separated, head to the trailer. That's home base. Okay?"I tapped my thumb on the steering wheel and gave him a nod. "Okay."Derek moved his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me in for a hard kiss."Gross!" Suzie said. "Get a room."The laugh that came from me eased my nerves a little.A smile tugged at Derek's lips as he pulled away to glance at Suzie. "If anything happens, you and Mindy stay out of sight.""Okay." Suzie bit her lips together and stared at Derek."Everything will be fine. Thank you for taking care
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 29
When we finally made it to the trailer, the weight on my shoulders eased considerably."We're here." I parked next to the green monster truck."Case, I'm scared. What if those girls change and hurt us?" Suzie held Mindy tight, protecting her."I know, Su. I'll talk with the guys and make sure you, Grant, and Mindy stay far away, okay?"Suzie wouldn't look at me. "I'm terrified.""That makes two of us." I twisted, encouraging her to make eye contact with me. "Just stay in the car for now, and I'll come get you in a minute. I'll send Grant over.""Okay." Suzie sucked in her bottom lip and nodded.Climbing out, I made my way to Thomas. He used to hop out of his truck, but jumping wasn't an option for him now. Grant was trying to help him down, but he was having a hard time. Thomas let out a loud yell when he stretched to reach the ground and fell to his knees.I ran to Thomas's side, wrapped my arm around his waist, and helped him to stand. "I go
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Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 72
"Anyone else wanna play the next round?" Miranda asked as she gathered cards."I'll play. You wanna play, Bae?" Matt pulled Celia toward the table."Wanna give Su her gifts?" I whispered to Thomas.He nodded and tugged me toward the living room. "Alone? Or with everyone else.""Alone." I knew if we did it alone, the gift would be more meaningful. "Su, come here.""Yeah?" Suzie walked into the living room."We have birthday gifts for you," I said."You do?" With wide eyes, Suzie glanced between us."Thomas first," I said.Releasing my hand, Thomas pulled a small pouch out of his pocket. "Squirt, you need to know I'm always gonna be here. I hate thinking about horrible shit, but if anything ever happens to your sister or if one day she smartens up and leaves my dumbass, I want you to know I'm always gonna be here for you. You'll always be my little sister, no matter what."Suzie's sapphire eyes sparkled in the candlelight as her face m
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 71
A mouthwatering aroma wafted out of the house as I ascended the back steps. Jett must've heard me coming because he started whining at the door before Miranda opened it."Back up, Jett," Miranda tried to hold Jett inside with her foot. "Everything alright? Y'all have been out there for a hot minute.""Yeah, we're good." Pushing back the desire to tell her about Joey's latest bullshit, I laughed at Jett's eagerness to see me. "You can let him out."Miranda moved her foot, letting Jett run. He yelped as he bounded toward me."Case?" Suzie rushed out behind Jett. "Are you okay? I heard you needed stitches."Kneeling to catch Jett before he ran down the stairs, I scratched his head. "Yeah. Do they look okay?"Miranda clicked on her tiny flashlight and moved in my direction, shining the light at my ear. Both she and Suzie hissed."That good, huh?" I chuckled as I grabbed Jett and stood."I'm no doctor, but it looks like Thomas knows what he's doing
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 70
Just as the barn door opened, a shadow darted from the cellar to the office."What was that?" I whispered as I clicked on my flashlight."I hope it's not what I think." Thomas's tone was angry as he put his gun away and flicked on his flashlight before barging into the office.I rushed in after him with my gun raised."Well, looky who it is," Thomas said sarcastically.Joey's dark hair hung over one eye. His other eye was wide with fear as he stared up at Thomas from behind the desk. He was sitting on the floor, holding the front of his shirt like a baby. Pre-packaged goods of all sorts were poking out of his makeshift basket."Empty it on the desk." Thomas said.Joey sighed in defeat and stood, unloading the contents of his shirt onto the desktop. Candy and snacks of all kinds fell out.Thomas and I looked over the pile of junk food. Everyone wanted this stuff, but since they were in such high demand, we were only permitted one selection per
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 69
Casey POVAfter our visitors finally left, we all rushed to get back on track. I barely had time to clean the blood off my face before I hurried outside to get done with the day's to-do list.Since our schedule had been unendingly jam packed, we were all looking forward to the party planned for tonight. Not only did we need some time off, but we were finally celebrating birthdays.For the first time since the virus started, we were going to have a relaxing night and drink alcohol. We didn't have much to look forward to in this new life, and we'd all been working our asses off. The first priority on our list was to finish the fence, and this party was our big reward.The unexpected visit from Waldo and Harold had put our day way behind schedule.Grant and Suzie stayed in the house to watch Mindy, and they were also helping Miranda and Derek with food preparation.Thomas, Matt, and Joey were
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 68
Casey POV"Grant, stand guard here. No one gets inside." Thomas said from somewhere under my window as he and Matt jogged toward the front gate."Dada!" Mindy hollered from her playpen.Keeping my gun pointed forward, I twisted and pressed one finger to my lips. "Shh.""Mama ma ma." Mindy's big smile faltered before dropping to her bottom and throwing one of her blocks at the netting.I gave her a warm smile. Thomas had been working with her to say 'mama,' and last week, she finally got it. During his lessons, Thomas hugged me and kissed my cheek to show Mindy that I was Mama. She was growing too fast and was on the verge of walking. I was nervous she would figure out how to escape her playpen soon.Matt and Thomas opened the small gate beside our large vehicle gate. When they both disappeared, my skin crawled.I'd watched the three vehicles approach, but now they were hidden behind th
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 67
Suzie POVOver the next few weeks, things were oddly quiet. Don't get me wrong, it was awesome, but it was just weird since we hadn't seen a zombie in days.Digging sucked. It looked easy, but it was tiring, and my hands suffered the consequences. The blisters made it a painful transition, but I didn't get blisters anymore. Now I had calluses."Do you think the zombies went south to the ocean?" Taking a long drink from my water, I studied the clouds in the sky as I tried to catch my breath."No. We're just in between groups." Joey tossed a heap of dirt onto my feet. "They're always right around the corner, headed our way.""What the heck? Don't!" Kicking the dirt off my boots, I aimed for Joey, hitting his knees.Joey's deep laugh filled the trench as he slapped the dirt off his jeans."Joey," Matt warned in a harsh tone before his pickaxe hit the dirt. "Do it again, and you'll be put
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 66
The drive home was pleasantly uneventful. For the first time in a long time, it felt like today some angel above was watching over us.Since the Dually had more seating, Joey and Miranda were riding with Grant and Suzie. Our newbies didn't argue or complain as Thomas gave them specific instructions when they were preparing to leave with us, which was a good sign.Joey, albeit heartbroken over his father, stayed silent as he and Miranda quickly loaded more supplies, their belongings, and thoroughly disinfected themselves before loading up for the journey home."Is that Matt?" I pointed to a shadow digging in the yard as we rolled down our long dirt road.Thomas squinted against the late afternoon sun. "Looks like it."Matt glanced up. A huge smile lit up his face as he threw down his shovel, hoisted himself out of the hole, and jogged toward us.The front door swung open, revealing a joyful Celia with our Munchkin in her arms.At the sight of my dau
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 65
Casey POVClicking on our flashlights, Miranda led us into the dark store. Dodging a massive stack of empty boxes sitting just inside the door, I nearly walked into a heaping pile of garbage. One bulging trash bag showed that someone had done the same thing and ripped one open. The garbage within was comprised of empty soup cans and food packaging."Be careful." Miranda grimaced before she continued walking without a flashlight. "We don't do much tidyin' up. I tried to organize the store after those military men left, but a couple of days later, a group of college guys broke in and destroyed all my hard work. They got so drunk that one guy forgot to block the entrance and let a group of eaters inside. The guys all died. Well, actually, I think maybe one got away, but they left me with the mess, and I had to kill all the eaters and the guys that came back to life. It was bad. I gave up cleaning anything after that."
Her Deadly Revenge CHAPTER 64
Casey POVGiving up on finding gas, I buckled myself into the passenger seat and leaned my head against the window. We passed several random biters staggering aimlessly down the road as I stared into space. This country road was hopeless.As we hit the three-quarter mark toward home, I glanced at the truck's gas gauge, and it was almost empty again. This truck literally guzzled gas.Noticing my worry, the corner of Thomas's lips tipped up. "It's okay, Sweetheart. Like I said before, it's just a truck. We'll drive until it runs out and we'll come back for it someday."I grimaced and nodded. I hated the idea of leaving this truck behind. It was his, and he shouldn't have to lose anything else. Who was I kidding? It was mine too, and I damn sure didn't want to lose it.Even though the dark clouds continued to hold their ominous position, the rain slowed, softening into a sprinkle. That was when a small m
