Bailey had just sidled up to the
tour group with Andy, and already the guide was giving her the stink eye.
“For
those of us not courteous enough to join us at the tour’s start, my name is
Larry, but most everyone here around town calls me Gilby on account of that’s my last name.” Larry, or Gilby, saw the
blank reaction from Bailey. “Well, Gilbert is my last name, is what I meant.
They don’t just call me that for no reason.”
Bailey raised
her hand, much to Andy’s chagrin.
Gilby seemed
excited at the prospect, and a smile covered his face, “Oh my, just starting
and already a question. You’re going to be my inquisitive one, I can tell. Yes,
go ahead.”
Forcing down a
snarky comment, Bailey instead asked, “How do you keep the zombies out?”
Andy shook his
head; he looked around to the other group members, an older couple that looked
as though they were sidetracked from a Floridian retirement village, and two
pensive men that were holding hands. He muttered a quick, “She missed the
intro, sorry.”
Gilby looked
like his mother had been slapped, “We do not use that word around here.”
“Then what do you call them?”
“The tour
continues this way,” Gilby pointed past her.
He walked with
purpose away from the facades of homes, the slapdash citizens with their games
and food. Gilby the tour guide turned down a street that bordered a canal. Just
beyond the slightest distance, a paved running path could be seen. Bailey saw that
it was outside the walls of the subdivision, it was not in use. Though at various
points long dried blood spatters could be seen decorating it in both directions.
“Ok let’s pause
here.” Gilby hung his hands as if he was expected someone to place a towel or
blanket across them, but his facial expression informed the group he was
pleased, why Bailey had no idea. “So, Mr. Scallion, what would you say is the
best offense?”
Mr. Scallion,
one half of the retirees, beamed, “Son, I’d say in all my years, one thing that
rings true, ‘The best offense is a solid defense.’” His wife patted him on the
back for the response, and simultaneously brushed some lint from shoulder of
the light blue polo he was wearing.
“Sir I’m glad
you said that. Here at Prism we don’t believe in a military state, we won’t
subject our people to gun toting mercenaries. We believe that the best form of
protection from those that have passed on, is to simply keep them out.”
“What about
people? Thieves? Killers?” Bailey, asked, and Andy followed it up with a wince.
“Andrew, if I
could ask you to please get your wife under control. We have a tight schedule
to keep on these tours. Too many of the wrong questions are going to put us
behind.”
“It’s Andy, but
yes. I will.”
“Oh no you
won’t,” Bailey said as Andy led them away from the rest of the group. A
distant, Sorry about that everyone,
could be heard coming from Gilby. “How do you not have the same questions?!”
Stopping,
staring completely in her eyes, Andy spoke, “Honey, I do, I definitely do.”
Bailey shed a
bit of tension, “But?”
“But, we are
guests here, new guests mind you. Can
we not rock the boat until we have a good reason? They might have a good thing
going here…”
“God dammit Andy
this is insane! These people have dead cannibals lining up at the walls, roaming
every street outside here and they’re pretending to be at the county fair!”
Still holding
her, eye-to-eye, Bailey couldn’t help but lock onto his gaze. It had been a
long time since they were this close. “Listen, honey- do you want to go back
out there?” Andy pointed beyond the walls of the subdivision. He pointed at
streets with no law, filled with desperate people whose own need for food,
water, shelter or safety could justify any act.
Bailey’s body
slackened at the words. “No.”
“Ok then, please
let’s give this another try? You and me?”
Bailey nodded.
“Thank God, and
thank you.” He didn’t kiss her, but he held her hand as they walked back to the
group. Before they were within earshot, he paused, turned to his wife, there
was a certain pleading in his voice that she hadn’t quite heard him use before,
“Oh, watch the language they don’t seem to like swearing either.”
