Hollowland
Page 16

Blue looked away, his face mirroring my own uncertainty. People were here, with electricity, and they might know something about a quarantine. He chewed his lip and nodded once.
“Someone’s coming out!” Harlow shouted and pointed at the ranch.
Instead of acting on my chance to escape, I turned back to see a man walking out the door. Tall, with dark hair slicked back, he strode toward us with a sense of purpose. He waved his hand, almost thoughtlessly, and the tigers backed down.
He held his hands out to us, palms up in a gesture of peace. Even though he smiled at us, I had a strange feeling that something sinister lurked behind it.
“I think we should still leave,” Lazlo suggested behind me. In my rearview mirror, I could see him. He had kept his voice even, but his dark eyes betrayed his anxiety.
“No way!” Harlow cast a confused glare at him. “They have electricity! That means they could have running water! And real food! Why would we just leave without even talking to them?”
“She’s has a point,” Blue said, shrugging helplessly. “They might know where your brother’s at. Or he might even be here.”
Ripley growled in the back again, and I felt everyone looking at me, waiting. Somehow, the decision had fallen on me whether we stayed or went.
This didn’t look anything like a government facility, but Blue was right. I was driving blindly to find Max, and I needed all the help I could get.
Sighing, I turned off the car and opened the door. Lazlo grumbled something I couldn’t understand, but he followed suit.
The man walked towards me, his smile widening, and Blue walked around the car to stand next to me. Harlow hurried around to meet him. Both Blue and I moved so we shielded her a bit, and Lazlo stepped closer to her.
“I wasn’t sure if you were going get out for a minute,” the guy laughed.
“We were just making sure the tigers were gone.” Blue kept his voice light and smiled. I felt relieved having him here. When I was nervous, I looked nervous, but he did a good job of covering it up.
“They’re mostly harmless, unless you’re a zombie,” he laughed again, then extended his hand to Blue. “I’m Korech, and this is my home.”
“I’m Blue.” Blue shook his hand.
“Remy.” I took his hand, and it was warm and gripped too tightly.
He reached past me to shake Lazlo’s hand, and Lazlo hesitated for a moment before taking it. Harlow introduced herself, announcing her first and last name, and Korech smiled at her a fraction of second longer than I felt comfortable with.
Ripley roared, and I glanced back at the SUV. She moved up to the driver’s seat and peered out at us.
“I see you have one too.” Korech kept smiling. His teeth were perfect and white, and his sweater was fitted, so I could see his muscles underneath. “I thought we’d gotten the last of them.”
“What?” I cocked my head at him. “Where did you get your tigers from?”
“Probably the same place as you.” Korech’s smile faltered. “All the animal shows they did in Vegas, like the magic acts. That’s where the big cats came from. I like having them because of how much they hate the zombies. They sense evil.”
“Yeah, they’re good at that,” I shifted uneasily.
“Why don’t you come inside?” Korech stepped back and gestured to the ranch. “I’m sure the rest of the family is eager to meet you.”
“What should I do with her?” I pointed back at Ripley.
“Just let her out,” Korech waved his hand vaguely. “She probably grew up with these tigers anyway.”
As Korech walked up to the house, Harlow scurried to keep with him. Blue walked by her side, but Lazlo stayed back with me.
They didn’t leave me any time to wrestle with my indecision about releasing Ripley. I opened the back door, and she jumped out. Ripley sniffed around the sand a bit. I could only watch her for a moment, and then Lazlo and I followed Korech into his house.
“Oh wow,” Harlow whispered as she stepped inside. Nothing was particularly stunning about the ranch, so it must’ve been the electricity that had her so excited.
The front room was filled with couches, the worn variety found at the Salvation Army for $20. They sat in a circle, facing the center of the room. A small table was in the middle with a black, worn bible on top of it.
Cushions and pillows were scattered about the hardwood floor, as if people had been sitting on them. A large iron cross hung on the far wall, but other than that, the room was empty.
Korech led us into the next room, the kitchen. It was a large with a big wood burning stove, and two refrigerators. A woman stood by the sink. She appeared to be only a few years older than me, and so thin, she was on the point of being frail. Her blond hair was nearly white and had been pulled back in a ponytail.
The sleeves of her dress were short with puffy shoulders, and a matronly white lace trim embellished the waist. The hem fell just below her knee, and while it fit, it had a bag-like quality.
“This is Nevaeh,” Korech introduced her, and she beamed at us. She clapped her hands together in front of her chest, reminding me of a young child on Christmas morning. “She is as close to a saint as a woman can be.”
His use of the word woman versus person made me bristle, but I forced a smile at her.
“Oh I am so glad to see other people who are still alive!” Nevaeh squealed, and then to contain herself, she took a deep breath before continuing. “We have been praying for the Lord to let us help those who can be helped, and He brought you to us.”
“Thank you,” Blue laughed to mask his unease.
“Nevaeh, they’ve just arrived,” Korech said, not unkindly. “And it’s very late. Why don’t we see if they need anything?”
“Oh my, where are my manners?” Nevaeh gestured to the kitchen. “Do you need anything to eat or drink? We have food and electricity and running water and beds.”
“You have running water?” Harlow gaped at her.
“Yes, we are very blessed,” Nevaeh smiled.
“I would love to take a shower,” Harlow said.
That really did sound amazing. An actual shower. Even at the quarantine, I had been forced to wash myself out of sinks in the girls’ bathrooms.
“What about the rest of you?” Nevaeh asked, looking over the rest of us.