89.4 Zombie Radio

Layla and I sat at a little booth off to the side with Roxy, and watched out the window as it started to rain. It was one of those sudden mountain rains, that come from seemingly out of nowhere, and seem like they're never going to stop. I felt sorry for Jack and Brock who were still stuck out in this mess of a storm. I was pretty sure this is where we were going to stay tonight because of the storm. Hell, even if it wasn't raining I wouldn't want to go anywhere after everything that had happened today. Roxy and Layla were silent as ever. It felt like the first time the three of us were together. Back before Layla had a shirt, and Roxy was afraid to beat the shit out of me. I couldn't help but laugh, and I knew right when I did, I was going to have to explain myself.

"What the fuck are you laughing about?" Roxy asked.

"Its funny to me... This whole thing... Just kind of reminds me of when us three first met," I explained. "It started with us three, and now look. All these people we picked up along the way, and its still us three hanging out. Reminds me of the Lincoln for some reason. We all were just a little afraid to talk to each other back then. More than a little afraid of all the crazy shit that was happening at the time... I mean... We've come a long way in these past few weeks. I've learned more about myself than I ever would have before the zombie apocalypse. And to think... I was supposed to be dead right now."

"What do you mean you were supposed to be dead?" Roxy asked.

"Oh yea! I never really explained that to anyone but Layla. I sort of... Before all this happened... Was going to kill myself. In fact, the day I met you and Layla, was the day I planned the suicide. Had the sleeping pills and everything... Not sure what the hell compelled me to leave that day, but... I'm sure as hell glad I did... Crazy... A time when most people just want to kill themselves, actually kept me from doing it."

"Bob... That's a fucked up story. I'm glad you didn't do that," Roxy replied. "I don't know what the fuck we'd be doing if not for you."

"Please, its not just me. All of us have done our part. Even the ones who didn't make it," I said. "Roxy you kicked a lot of the ass along the way. We'd be screwed if it weren't for you. And Layla, you kept me from walking out on everyone that one night."

"Wait! When the fuck did that happen!?" Roxy shouted.

"It was a while back... I tried to abandon you guys. Layla caught me trying to leave and... Talked me out of it. I'd be dead if it weren't for her."

"So you've just been keeping this shit from me!? What the fuck man!?"

"Sorry Roxy, I guess I was just... I don't know."

"Why are you coming clean with all of this now?" Roxy asked.

"Because... I'm finally happy... As fucked up as that sounds, I'm finally happy with who I am, and everything I have. I have Layla... And you... And everyone else. I feel like I have a place now... I don't know how to explain it."

"No... I get it. It makes total sense."

Layla kissed me on the cheek and downed the rest of her champagne. It was time for me to turn the conversation around. The weight of this conversation was getting a little too heavy for my tastes.

"Layla, how much have you had to drink today?" I asked with a grin.

"Just that screwdriver and this glass of champagne... Why?"

"Have you ever even gotten drunk before?" Roxy asked.

"Well... I've drank before. I never really let it get out of hand though... I smoked pot one other time too," Layla informed us. Roxy's eyes got wide, and I knew she was as shocked as I was at that news.

"You smoked weed Layla!? Holy shit! I have got to hear that story!" Roxy exclaimed.

"Well... I was at my girlfriend's house and her brother had it. He actually sold it according to her, and we stole a little bit. Her parents were never home, and her brother was at his girlfriend's or something, so we looked up on the internet how to make a pipe out of a pop can... Then we smoked. I don't know why I went along with it. I knew it was bad, and I guess I was just... I don't know curious. Have you guys ever done that?"

"Uh, yea... Me and Bob have done that on a few occasions," Roxy replied.

"Not while this was going on!" I quickly added. "All of this was a long time ago Layla... A long time ago. In a whole different life. Hell, Roxy had some on hand for me during the whole Trevor thing."

"Hey! I was afraid you were gonna kill yourself over her! You'd have done the same thing for me!" Roxy shouted.

"Aw, I'm so sorry about that whole thing Bob," Layla replied.

"Trust me Layla, I'm over it. Not only am I over it... Why the fuck is my pocket vibrating?" I asked as I reached to find the cause. I pulled out Roxy's phone and handed it to her. She mouthed the words "What the fuck," as she answered the call.

"Hello?... Jack! What the fuck!? How'd you get my number!?... Oh yea, I forgot about Brock, how is he?... What?... What!?... Fuck! You're fucking kidding me! Tell me you're fucking kidding me!... Fuck!... Shut the fuck up and get here! We're at a little bar outside of town!... Jack! Fucking shut the fuck up and find it! I'm not fucking with you!... Its called... What the fuck is this place called?"

"I think its like Seventh Heaven or something like..."

"Seventh Heaven! Its right outside of the main part of town! Hurry the fuck up! I'll be waiting outside!"

Roxy hung up the phone without saying goodbye and bolted out the door. I knew something was wrong just from the one sided phone call I had just overheard. My blood ran cold as the possibilities of what could be going on started to run through my head. It wasn't long before Jessie and Dalton came walking up to Layla and I hand in hand with worried expressions on their faces.

"What's going on?" Jessie asked.

"I don't know, but it didn't sound good at all," Layla replied.

"Fuck! I'm going out there with her!" I shouted as I got up to head out the door.

"I'm going with you," Layla added.

"We're all going with you," Jessie said. The four of us walked out the door and saw Roxy standing in the pouring rain. The look on her face can only be described as pissed off worry. It was a look I had seen before on her, and it was usually directed at me when I did something stupid. I tried to call her name, but the sound of the storm must have drowned me out. It was either that, or she was completely ignoring me. I looked at the other three, and I could tell they wanted no part of the rain. I didn't care though, I had this feeling Roxy needed me. I walked out into the downpour and took the spot right next to her.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Roxy didn't reply, she just shook her head and took a deep breath. I tried to put my hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but she moved away before I could touch her.

"Seriously Bob, don't fucking touch me right now, I'm not in the mood," she said, still looking straight ahead. I stood there and tried to think of something to say to her. I wasn't really the greatest person in these situations admittedly. I just wish she'd tell me what was going on so I could try to help. A few minutes passed in silence, and then like a miracle, the bus appeared like a God through the storm, stopping right in front of Roxy and I. Roxy ran around to the door of the bus, and I followed her. When the door opened, Jack came out first, and the look on his face said it all. Something was not right.

"Where is he!?" Roxy screamed.

"He's in the back... Roxy I'm sorry... You have..." Roxy didn't let Jack finish. She shoved him aside and ran into the bus. Jack looked me in the eyes and I knew that finally, somebody would give me a straight answer.

"Jack, what happened?" I asked, as calmly as I could.

"Its Brock... He... Well... Just go see for yourself," Jack replied. I made my way into the bus, and seen Roxy huddled next to one of the bunks. When I seen her face filled with tears, I knew it was bad. As I got closer I seen the red tint of the once white sheets, and a mangled arm hanging outside of the bed frame. My blood ran cold when I saw his face, somehow managing a smile despite the huge chunks of flesh bitten off throughout his body.

"Brock... I'm so sorry man. What happened?" I asked causing Roxy to cry even harder.

"Its not your fault. Its not anyone's fault actually," Brock replied, still smiling. "It was just... Bad luck."

"Let's get you inside man, maybe Dr.Grant can help somehow," I told him. "Can you walk?"

"I still have legs Bob, I can function," Brock replied as he let out a short laugh. He got to his feet, and I looked at Roxy who was still crying. We both knew the truth, hell, I'm pretty sure Brock knew it too. There was no coming back from this. Brock was as good as dead. We walked off of the bus, and out into the still pouring rain. Jack looked me in the face, and I could tell by his eyes he felt guilty for the whole thing. When Layla and Jessie caught sight of Brock, I could hear them gasp, and I knew the tears were next. We didn't stop for a conversation, we just pushed on into the bar, and closed the door behind us.

"Dr.Grant! We need you!" I shouted as we came through the door. Brock laughed, and I knew he knew exactly what was about to happen, but we were all holding out some sort of hope that we were wrong, and that Dr.Grant had miracle healing powers. Dr.Grant rushed to where we were, and took one look at Brock. The look on his face said it all, and when Roxy seen it, she started crying harder. I had never see Roxy this beat up about something... It was killing me.

"Well, you really don't have to say it," Brock said, somehow still managing a smile. "I know its bad."

"What happened?" Layla asked. Brock cleared his throat, and sat down before telling the tale.

"Well, Jack and I had found the bus. We managed to sneak around the army, and find it. Most of the zombies were off trying to find the rest of you, so it wasn't too hard. There were a few zombies still around the bus though, so Jack and I got ready to take them out. We handled them just fine, but at one point one of them yelled, and a whole swarm of them came from out of nowhere. Jack got in the bus and got it started, and I was right on the way in... But one of em grabbed the door, then another got my leg. I did what I had to do to clear them away from the door, but... As you can see. I took a few for the team. I didn't even realize how bad it was until I got in the bus, and seen the blood dripping from my arms and... Well everywhere... I'm so sorry guys."

"Why are you apologizing?" I asked. "We should be apologizing to you if anything... Man... Fuck!"

I had run out of things to say. My happy feeling from before was quickly killed by this entire incident. These sorts of things tend to kill any mood in a hurry. I knew what had to be done... And I was afraid... I'm not ashamed to say it. I may have found peace in the zombie apocalypse, but that didn't mean I loved seeing the people around me in danger, or dying... But this is life now. This is all we have. Staying alive means dealing with these types of things.

"It should have been me!" Jack shouted. "I should've been the one out there! I could've helped but I just sat there and watched it happen!"

"Jack, its not your fault at all," Brock said. "It was just... Shitty luck. There's nothing you could have done. Please do not blame yourself for this. These guys need you."

"We need you Brock! You're the only reason we've made it this far!" Jessie shouted through her tears.

"No, you guys would have made it without me. You would have figured it out. You're all amazing, and I mean that... And if you're referring to the whole car knowledge thing, trust me when I say Roxy knows just as much as I do about them. She plays it off like she doesn't, but that girl was in the shop almost everyday by her dad's side. She's more than enough to help you guys in that area."

"Shut the fuck up Brock! You're not leaving me!" Roxy screamed.

"Roxy... I'm sorry... But you know what has to be done," Brock replied, the smile finally leaving his face. "I don't want to be one of those things... And I'd be honored if the girl who's as close to family as I've ever had would do me the honor of sending me off."

"Fuck no! I'm not doing that!" Roxy yelled, before crying hysterically. She ran to Brock and wrapped her arms around him. I couldn't help but feel for her, and I was choking back the tears myself. This was not easy for any of us. They had seen it happen to Trevor once... But let's be honest, I don't think anyone liked Trevor. Brock was different. We all liked him, and we all admired him. Brock and Roxy were very close, and Brock just asked her to do the impossible. Layla was crying on my shoulder, and as I looked around, there wasn't a dry eye in the place. I saw the tear hit my shirt, and I knew I had given in. I felt like I was at a close friend's funeral, only we were killing him ourselves before the showing. It was a horrible feeling to say the least. Finally, somebody calmed down enough to say something.

"Well... I hate to ask, but... How should we go about this?" Dean asked.

"Fuck you Dean! We're not going about doing shit!" Roxy screamed.

"Roxy... Will you please not do this? I know how you feel... But... Please, it has to be this way," Brock whispered to Roxy.

"I don't want to lose you!... You're all I fucking have Brock! You're all I have left of the past! I can't lose you!" Roxy shouted.

"I don't want to lose you either Roxy, but this is how it has to be," Brock said. "Please... Do me the honor. I know it isn't easy, but it has to be done."

"I'm gonna kill myself," Roxy replied. "I'll fucking kill myself before I do that Brock."

"We didn't even know the other was alive before all of this Roxy, and you opted to live then," Brock explained. "Please... You have to help the rest of them Roxy... Bob... Can I talk to you for a second?"

Layla let go of me, and I made my way over to Brock, kneeling down so that I could look him in the eye. The tears were streaming down his face, and I did my best to stay strong... I didn't know what else to do.

"Bob... I need you to help me keep a promise. I promised this girl's dad... Well practically my dad too, that I would take care of her. I've kept that promise until now. I told her I'd always be there for her, and that I'd always keep her safe. He made me swear this to him, while the cancer slowly took away everything he'd worked so hard for... I'm pissed at myself for not being able to keep it... Which... Is where you come in. I need you to take over where I left off. I need you to keep her safe. Keep her out of trouble. Whoop a guy's ass if he breaks her heart. I need you to do all the things I'm not gonna be there to do... I feel you're the only one I can trust with this... I don't know why I feel that way... But I know you won't let me down. You kept her safe until I found her again, and you have no idea how grateful I am to you for that. She's a good girl. A bit rough around the edges maybe, but her heart is... Fuck man, you know how she is. So... Can I trust you with that?"

"Yea... Of course you can Brock... I promise I'll keep her safe," I replied, trying to choke back the tears. It wasn't working, I was crying, and trying to hide it as best I could. Roxy hadn't moved, her head was still buried in Brock's chest. It was muffling the cries a little bit, but not much. When Roxy let loose, she really let loose. There was no holding back.

"Thank you," Brock said softly, petting Roxy's head to try and comfort her. "That means the world to me. I think I can die in peace now."

"You're not going to die Brock!" Roxy screamed, still denying the truth.

"Roxy... Its either that, or I'm trapped on earth as one of those flesh eating bastards," Brock replied. "You know what the right thing to do is... Please Roxy... Its not easy for me either. Just... Grab the gun, and let me die with a little dignity. Do remember watching your dad die?"

"I try not to think about that," Roxy whispered.

"Neither do I. It was a slow, painful death. He wasn't the same man during it either. He was more stubborn than you are, and we all know where you got your mouth from, but during that whole thing... He was just the total opposite. It was sad, and I always swore I never wanted to die like that... I don't think anyone wants to die like that. If you let this go, that's what it will be like. It will be worse than that actually... Hell I might even try to come kill you someday. So please... While I'm still me... Do me this one thing Roxy... I'd do it for you."

"Fuck!" Roxy yelled as she lifted her head from his chest. "I don't know if I can do it Brock... I know its right... I just... don't know."

"I know Roxy... But I'd be honored," Brock replied.

"...Okay... I'll do it," Roxy said, finally giving in. She started crying harder, and Brock put his hand on her head, brushing a piece of hair out of her eye.

"Thank you Roxy... Thank you so much," was all he could manage to say.

"Should we be shooting off a gun this close to the city? Won't the noise bring the zombies?" Dean asked, not seeming to care about the emotions in the room.

"Yea... He's right," Brock answered. "Dean... You're an asshole... But I love you man. Sometimes we need that sort of... Kick in the ass I guess would be a good way of putting it. I hope someday you realize its not the best way to live your life... But... Thank you for everything."

"...You're welcome Brock... I'm gonna miss you," Dean said as he sat down. He looked stunned by what Brock had just said.

"We can silence the shot with a two liter and toilet paper," Jack added. "I know how to do it. It may not make it totally quiet, but it'll make it to where we don't draw attention."
"That's good to hear... Thanks for everything Jack. You've been great... And seriously, this was not your fault, and these people need you... I know we'd of been dead a long time ago if not for you," Brock replied.

"Thank you Brock... That means a lot to me," Jack answered.

"Hell, I guess I'll just go around the room then," Brock said letting out a short laugh. "Lucas, I never got to know you very well... But you seem like a nice guy, and I hope nothing but the best for you. Dr.Grant... You're one hell of a guy. They'll need you most of all."

"Thank you Brock, those are very kind words," Dr.Grant replied.

"You're very welcome, and I mean that. You are a hell of a guy. Aiden and Celeste... You're both so quiet... But I know your hearts are in the right place. I wish you both luck."

Aiden didn't reply verbally, he just nodded his head. Jack was now busy pouring out a two liter of coke to make the makeshift silencer. At least that's what I assumed it was for. Brock continued his final goodbyes to everyone in the room.

"Kwame, you are one loud mouthed son of a bitch... But I love you man, you always make me smile."

"Shit... Imma miss yo ass man... Man you all makin' me cry and shit!"

"Sorry bro, didn't mean for it to happen this way. Oh, and all of you take care of that kid! He's a fighter if he's made it this far. Don't let anything happen to him."

"We won't Brock... We'll take good care of him," Dalton said.

"I know you will... Dalton... Take care of Jessie... She's a good girl. Don't ever hurt her, or I will come back and haunt your ass," Brock replied.

"I won't Brock. You have my word on that."

"I know... I trust you. She's special. I knew that the moment I met her. She's probably more stubborn than Roxy is... And that's saying something... But she has a heart of gold, and... Well you know her better than I do. Jessie... You take care of yourself okay? And Nimel too... By the way... Where is Nimel?"

"Oh my God! I didn't even notice! We must have left him in that sewer! Oh my God! I feel horrible!" Jessie screamed. "I was just scared! And... Oh my God! I hope he's okay!"

"Jessie, that dog is special. I don't think you have to worry. Hundred bucks says he's scratching at the door in another hour or so. If any animal could have made it out of that okay, its Nimel. He's as tough as they come," Brock explained.

"Oh my God! I can't believe we did that!" Jessie shouted. "I hope you're right Brock... I will go back and find him if I have to!"

"Like I said Jessie, just give him time. I almost guarantee it," Brock replied. "Who's left?... Well... Layla, you have a wonderful man right there, and Bob, you have a wonderful woman. You two better be good to each other. I'll be watching from somewhere. Keep that in mind."

"There are some times I'd like you to maybe turn away," I joked causing Brock to laugh hysterically.

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," Brock said. "But seriously... Be good to each other, and Bob... Please keep that promise."

"I will Brock. She's in good hands, I promise."

"I know she is... Okay... Roxy... I love you... You know that... But I think its time."

Roxy unburied her head from Brock's chest and looked him in the eyes. She nodded her head, and stood up, wiping the tears out of her eyes. It was a very different looking Roxy. It was almost as if there was an aura around her. The entire moment seemed so surreal.

"Brock... I fucking love you bro," she said.

"I love you too sis... Things will be alright... You'll see... Now as much as this pains me to say... Let's get this over with... Oh and one more request... Tonight... You all celebrate. Let loose. Don't hold anything back. That's what life is about. Celebrate being alive. If I get to... Wherever it is I'm going, and I look down on you guys crying and being sad, I will be pissed. Tonight... Have a good time on me... Okay... I'm ready."

Jack handed Roxy the makeshift silencer, which was essentially a two liter bottle with toilet paper stuffed inside of it and a hole cut in the end. She stuck the gun inside, and pointed it at Brock's head. I pulled Layla in close to me, and put my head on her shoulder... I didn't want to see what came next. I could feel her tears on my shoulder, and when I heard the muffled gun shot, I cried. I looked up at Roxy who I knew would be devastated. She was still holding the gun in place, staring at Brock's limp body on the floor. Finally she dropped to both knees and dropped the gun. Layla looked me in the eyes, and motioned for me to go help her.

I walked over to Roxy and put my hand on her shoulder. The tears hadn't started yet for her. She was still caught up in the shock of what she had just done. It would have been hard on anybody. She finally stood back up, and looked me in the face. It must have hit her all at once, and she wrapped her arms around me and let it all out. We stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity. Jack and Dean took it upon themselves to wrap Brock up in a table cloth, and they took him outside to the bus. We would find a nice spot to bury him in the morning... It was the right thing to do. When they came back in, we were greeted with a pleasant surprise. Nimel had found his way back, and we all smiled as he and Jessie reunited. Brock was right, that dog was special. To be able to track us this far, was nothing short of amazing... Or just a crazy twist of luck. Either way, I wasn't complaining.

That night, we celebrated. Just like Brock would have wanted. We played the jukebox, and drank as much as we wanted. It was nice to see everyone living it up just a little bit. Some were bigger drinkers than others of course, but I know Brock would have been proud of his memorial service. I believe the highlight of my night would have to be Layla telling me how drunk she was every five minutes or so. It was just... Funny. After the night was over, we all made our way upstairs, where there was a fully furnished apartment for us to sleep in. Layla's head hit the pillow and she was asleep before I could even think to kiss her goodnight.

I on the other hand couldn't sleep. Usually after a good night of drinking I had no problem, but something inside of me just wasn't letting me. I decided to head back downstairs for one last drink, and to my surprise, Jessie was still up too. She wasn't drinking, she was just staring out the window at the storm, which hadn't let up much since it had started. The radio was on as well, and DJ Double Tap was still at it, even at one in the morning. I decided to grab a beer and head go talk to Jessie, after all, what else did I have to do?

"Can't sleep either?" I asked as I took the seat across from her.

"No... Been up just kind of... Thinking I guess," she replied.

"Thinking eh? Thinking about what?"

"I don't know... Stuff."

"Stuff is usually not good."

"Well... I don't know, that whole thing kind of bothered me today. I liked Brock a lot... That could have been any of us. We had to do that with a girl named Maria when this whole thing first started... It was different then though. We didn't know her at all. We found her in a parking garage... We knew Brock. He was a great guy... Just made me... Think about stuff."

"I think I know what you're saying Jessie. It was hard on us all. Imagine if you were Roxy."

"That's it exactly. What if its Dalton! Or what if its you even! Then it'll be Layla having to do it!... I don't like this Bob... I don't like any of it."

"None of us do Jessie... But I think we're gonna be alright. We don't have much longer to go."

"I hope you're right Bob... I really hope you're right."

Jessie and I sat and stared out the window for a while and listened to a few sad old songs play on the radio. We didn't say anything to each other, we just sat and watched the storm, and yet, I felt comfortable with this girl. Comfortable silences were rare before all of this, but now that everything had gone to hell, they were quite common. Maybe it was just the company I was keeping these days though. I felt the same way around Roxy and Layla too... Like I didn't have to keep talking. Like it was okay to shut the fuck up. I know that sounds weird, but... I like that feeling. DJ Double Tap came back on the radio, and I noticed Aiden and Celeste had made their way back downstairs. They must not have been able to sleep either.

"Well my fellow survivors out there, its been a long night for DJ Double Tap, and he's ready to drift off to dream land. So to all of you out there still keeping it real with me, this is DJ Double Tap signing off... Wait... We have a caller... Okay... What's up!? You've got DJ Double Tap on the line!"

"Hello Mr.Double Tap... If that is what you prefer to be called. I'd like to call you by your christian name, but I'm sure I won't receive it due to your insistence upon entertainment."

"I'm not sure DJ Double Tap is following you... What's your name?"

"My name?... Ah well its really not important what my name is. You won't tell me yours so I only feel its fair that I don't tell you mine. If you must call me anything, I'll reply to the name Ten."

"Ten? DJ Double Tap has got to know what's up with that!?"

"Well... I'm sure there's a select few out there who will know exactly what that means... If they're still alive that is. Now, before you ask me what I mean by that, allow me to tell you a little story. You see, once upon a time there was a group of imbeciles, who thought they could change the world by putting a little... Bug into a country's poultry supply. This little group called themselves C.A.S.T which was some sort of acronym for some ridiculous nonsense. After this group went and did what they did, they went home and celebrated. They thought they had finally made some sort of stand, against society, when in essence they doomed it. Now for your next question Mr.Double Tap, how do I know all of this? Because I gave them the bug. What is the bug you ask? Oh, and yes, I'm asking the questions for you, before you decide to crack an asinine joke about that as well. The bug is what caused all of this. It was originally a weapon that I spent my life working on, only to be regarded as some... Psychopath when the government found out that there was no cure for it, and that there was no way to truly control it. I don't think I'm a psychopath Mr.Double Tap, do you think I'm a psychopath?"

"I really don't know what to think right now."

"It doesn't matter I guess. I listen to this station every day, just to see the progress of the parasite. Its like hearing about your child growing up. Everything works to near perfection. The queens, which I'm still surprised you have identified correctly, are executing their purpose just as I had always dreamed. Its really a beautiful thing. Soon they'll be destroying the world, one location at a time, and yes, this is worldwide. C.A.S.T. wasn't the only group of imbeciles in the world looking to make a change. This will be the only time we'll speak Mr.Double Tap, because if I'm right, they'll be working on destroying everything people need to survive, while remaining almost totally self sustaining. Yes they love to eat the living, but they don't need to eat. They reproduce so much, that they actually make food for the host, which makes them perfect killing machines that can survive almost anything. As I said Mr.Double Tap, I put my life's work into this project, I've thought of all the details. Soon the queens will have united... probably a few large armies, and then they'll start destroying it all... If they haven't already. Gas stations, food sources, power stations, and clean water will all be things that will become... Quite scarce. In other words, your little radio show will be a thing of the past... Do you have any questions for me?"

"So you're the asshole who created all of this? And you're basically telling me this is only the beginning?... Do I have that right?"

"Why yes Mr.Double Tap, you're not as simple as I thought you were."

"Yea, fuck you too. So where are you right now?"

"Ha ha! Oh you are precious sir. I'm in a nice safe compound off the coast of California. If you'd like to try and find me, you'd be a welcome guest. My doors are always open... Well to the uninfected that is."

"Oh, if this station goes under, you're ass is mine."

"Ha ha! Oh you're so cute when you're angry. The whole character you portray yourself as goes right out the window. I love it... Well, I'll let you get some sleep Mr.Double Tap. Its been a pleasure."

"Yea, a real pleasure Mr.Ten... Wow, if anyone just heard that, are you as shocked as I am? What a fucking asshole! Something tells me that wasn't a joke either. This bothers me... Alright, well... This is DJ Double Tap signing off... Try to have a good night out there if you're still listening... Shit I should have taped that!... Wait I did! Okay, that is going on the morning broadcast!... Oops forgot to turn this off... Goodnight!"

The station went back to the play list and Jessie and I were busy staring in awe at the radio. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I pinched myself to see if it was a dream... Nope still awake.

"Did you hear that!?" Jessie asked.

"It was hard not to!" I replied.

"What a jerk! We should go to California and kick his bum!" Jessie exclaimed.

"No... As much as I'd like to, we should just think of ourselves here and get to Florida... While there still is a Florida. It all makes sense though... Why they blew up that gas station the one time... Things are going to get really bad now."

"Do you still think we're going to be okay Bob?"

"Well... I have to think we will be, and so do you. Don't show them you're worried Jessie. We have to stay strong. We start doubting things now, and they'll start doubting us. We're gonna be fine though... I'm sure we'll be fine."

I looked back and Celeste and Aiden were gone. I wasn't sure if they had heard that whole thing or not. I finished my drink, and poured myself another right after it. Jessie sat up with me as I drank it, both of us still not saying much. I knew for a fact there was no way I was going to sleep tonight. Not after everything I had just heard. A few hours passed before Jessie finally said goodnight went upstairs, and I stayed up to watch the sun rise. Eventually the Corona won, and I passed out in one of the booths.

I wasn't sure what time it was when everyone had made their way back downstairs, and woke me up. I knew it was late in the morning, because most of my buzz was gone. Jessie was busy telling everyone about the call we heard on the radio last night as we gathered up our things and left the bar. On the bus, everyone was quiet. But it was one of those comfortable silences that I was talking about earlier. We found a nice spot in the mountains to bury Brock. One with a nice view, and only a few miles away from another bar... Roxy said he would have loved it.

We all remained quiet as we lowered him into the ground. A few of us cried, a few of us didn't... When we buried Brock... It didn't feel like we were just burying him. It felt like we were burying something else too. If you ask me, we were burying our old selves as well. Everything we'd learned, everything we'd been through. We were all different now. We had, in a sense evolved. When we got back into the bus, I knew I wasn't with the same people I had been traveling with. I was with a new group, with a new mentality. One that cherished every day we were alive. Things were going to get tough from here, but I knew we were ready. Back on the bus, Lucas and Nolan were playing video games, and Dalton and Kwame eventually had gotten into an argument over who the greatest rapper of all time was, causing Jessie and Roxy to both roll their eyes... Okay, so maybe not everything had changed.

Our journey was almost over. Not much longer and we'd be in Florida. We still had to figure out exactly where the island Riley had told us about was, and actually... Make it through Florida, but I knew we were ready for anything. Despite everything, I couldn't help but smile. The girl of my dreams was right next to me, listening to some insane Mars Volta CD I had suggested to her on headphones. I was surrounded by people I actually considered friends... No... I considered them family... And to think... I was supposed to be dead today.