Small Town

Pah! Pah! Pah!

"Aim for the heads!" Bohannon shouted.

Pah! Pah! Pah!

"Keep up!" Shouted Bohannon.

The small hotel group was running through the service hallways of the hotel with dead fellows on their tail.

At the end of the hallway, the group made a sharp left, and found a loading bay overrun with more walkers. But they didn't stop, they couldn't stop. They kept pushing while the dead fellows flanked them. Bohannon collided shoulder first into the door. It busted open but was snagged on chains.

Bohannon, took his saddle bags from Sasha and tossed them outside. He then followed behind them, squeezing through was the only way out. He exited the building into an alley, he waited for a moment.

Although, the sound of gunfire attracted the walkers out on the street, Bohannon wasn't worried much. Behind him he heard Sasha moaning as pushed thru small opening, followed by Stoya. When Stoya made it out, she snapped her head back towards the door when she heard the sound of screams. The next moment Steve pushed throw the door.

"Come on!" Steve ordered.

The girls looked back at the building and then at Steve "Where the fuck is Riley?"

"She didn't make it. I nearly didn't" he replied.

"What do you mean you nearly didn't?" Bohannon asked.

"T-they pulled me down . Riley helped me and they got here instead"

"Whatever, y'all asked for help and I helped. Now you can sort your own shit out , without me." Said Bohannon, he then took off in a light jog. As soon as he hit the corner. He saw an abandoned pick up truck tossed his saddle bags in the truck and started to hot wire the thing.

It took a bit for the truck to start up. But when it was running, Bohannon saw that he had half of a tank worth of gas. Just enough to get out of the city.

PAH!

Bohannon turned around with his pistol in a ready position, looking towards the ally where the gunshot originated from. A few moments later, Bohannon watched as Stoya, Sasha, and Kev running towards him.

"What the fuck? didn't I tell you that we're done?"

"We know, Sir. But we have nowhere to go. We've been in that hotel since everything started. We don't know how to survive out here like you. Stoya and I were pornstars before this. I mean, I retired, but it wasn't long before the world ended." Sasha explained.

"And I was a college student stressing about the future." Added the now sober Kev

Bohannon kept an indifference face and stared at the group. His gut turned in circles and he couldn't make nothing of the group. But he was sure that people like Steve, had to be put down early in this world.

"The ladies ride inside. You hop in the back." Bohannon hoped in the truck and started to shuffle through cd's . Sasha the opened the the glove box and found an ipad.

Bohannon smiled. "Good shit, doll. Find a charger and plug it up." He told her. Bohannon then put the car in gear and drove off.

It was about 15 minutes later when the iPad was at 20 percent. Sasha turned it on and plugged in the aux cord.

" Give me that. I'm driving and I've had a hard couple of months. You can pick the music after we stop." Bohannon took the Ipad and touched the music Icon..

He switched his attention between the Ipad and the road as he found his artist. "Ahh, a man with taste..." he muttered.

A moment later, Brown Bird: Bilgewater, came one. Bohannon lit a cigarillo and passed it Stoya. They drove in relative silence. Unlike on his horse. Bohannon could drive through a handful of walkers. It was about an hour after sundown when they found a clear highway out of Atlanta.

The drove until they hit a traffic jam on the Highway. With no way to get through. Bohannon thought it would be a good idea to rest on the freeway for a night. No fire, in pure darkness, they rested. It was cold but they managed Bohannon gave his blanket to Kev while he slept Sasha and Stoya for their warmth.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Bohannon's biological clock went off at the crack of dawn. He took his time waking up. He lay in the middle of Sasha and Stoya inside the truck. He would have to eventually wake them up, but he sat motionless for a moment and looked around out of the front windshield.

The group was now stuck at a roadblock and there was no hope of clearing the highway and even if it was possible it would be meaningless. The noise would attract more problems than the solutions it would bring.

"Find the silver lining, Charlus. Find the silver lining." He muttered to himself, repeating the words of his former therapist. Everyone that left the military went through a sort of separation counseling. Charlus found it helped in certain situations. He continued to look for a moment and came up with few good take aways. The best thing he spied was a water truck.

'Haha the silver lining. I'll be damned. At least we can drink clean water for a while. That water truck could be fully stocked. The empty 5 gallon bottles could be used for gas if we can label them. More weapons can be found in the abandoned vehicles. And if we're really lucky...A SATCOM antenna' He thought.

After some think time, he walked straight to the water truck and found gallons of water ready to drink. He also found a number of empty 5 gallon bottles. Scavenging through cars, he found himself some tubing and began to siphon gas from cars.

After the first two cars, Bohannon was fed up. "Fuck this shit!"

"What's wrong, Bohannon?" asked Stoya.

"It's taking too long... Grab a hammer from that Chevy and everyone grab an empty bottle" He ordered.

When Stoya returned, Bohannon sent Sasha to find more tube and Kev made improvised funnels.

"Okay, this is the plan. I puncture the gas tanks. Put the funnel over the leak, the finnel in the tube and the tube in the bottle. The gas will spill into the funnel, through the tube, and into the bottle. You just catch as much as possible. We've already spent to much time here."

They looked at Bohannon like he was nuts. But, when he punctured the first tank and the gas started flowing like a stream and they were all still breathing. They all hopped on board. The plan risked blowing them to bits. But Bohannon loved the risk. It's why he loved being on the cutthroat, dead infested road.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Fueling up the pick up and the water truck. Bohannon led the group to the closest exit. They drove into a small town immediately off the exit. He drove through town for a bit, looking around. Not for supply but a local map. Small towns required local maps to navigate better. Bigger maps only charted main roads and high traffic places. Towards the center of town, Bohannon finally found a small town gun store and a general store.

"Hello, Anybody here?" he called out.

Bohannon had knife in his left hand and pistol in his right. He moved aisle to aisle clearing the general store. Close to the register a 300 pound dead fellow was feasting on the organs of a young woman, drinking her blood like soup. The smell of rotten flesh permeated from the dead feast. The sound of barbaric eating and dead moans filled his ears.

The big fellow sensed Bohannon and turned around. Bohannon smiled and said " well, hey there."

He took two quick steps forward and lodged his knife into the walkers head --all the way done to the hilt of the blade. He twisted it hard to the right and then ripped out. The big man's body dropped with a thud.

Stoya and Kev walked around the diseased man and went to the back of the store to scavenge what they could.

Bohannon was sifting the through the county maps and looking for farm land and a local smith. He knew bullets wouldn't always be around and he wanted to make himself a pair of Bohannon Tomahawks. A weapon that was a right of passage for all Bohannons. Besides bullets and arrowheads, Bohannons are taught to make daggers and tomahawks.

A few moments later Sasha walked throw the store doors with bags full of ammunition and guns.

"Generous fucking town. They even left a note, 'Help yourself and God Bless' they said. " Sasha giggled as she dropped her haul on the floor.

"Where's Stoya?" She asked.

"In the back with Kev. Probably sucking him off. They've been back there for a while." Bohannon replied nonchalantly without even taking his eyes away from maps he was actively reading.

Sasha rolled her eyes and walked away.

Bohannon paid her no attention, he was currently lost in thought. He was trying to guess which homesteads on the maps where most like to have surviving occupants. The best way to do that was to measure the open land around homestead points of the map. More land is easier to watch dead fellows and raiders from a distance, giving occupants time to prepare or flee.

"Ahhhhh!" A scream came from the back, breaking Bohannon's concentration.

Putting the map down Bohannon moved towards the back rooms.

Pah! Pah! Two rounds were fired.

A moment later. Bohannon walked up on a shaking Sasha. She looked mortified. In front of her was a mauled Stoya. Atop her body was dead walker. Kev was also in similar conditions, not that far from Stoya.

Bohannon stared at them and randomly worried about Adelaide. He hoped she was doing well. Turning away from the scene Bohannon walked to back towards the shop.

He then stopped and said, "We should go before more come."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Hmm, Where to?" Bohannon spoke to himself while looking at the map in the truck. He was now parked at the intersection and had been trying to decide which of the two homesteads were closer.

"Well, this look close enough, yet isolated." Bohannon smirked and tossed the map in the passenger seat. He went a few miles until a Homestead came into his sight picture.

There was big white house, a barn, horse stable, and a lot of land. There were a few vehicles. Everything looked maintained as opposed to most of the abandon places that Bohannon had come across.

"Looks like somebody's home. Let's say, hi" he spoke to himself.

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Two vehicles kicked up dust in the distance as they traveled down the dirt road.

An old man with snow white hair was brushing down a horse. He poked his head out and saw a pick up truck and a water delivery truck. A family came out of the house looked at the vehicles.

When the vehicles finally stopped. A man shouted out the window. " We come in peace. My names Charlus Bohannon! That lass' name is Sasha Grey! We thought the farm was empty, our mistake. We'll be moving on then!"

"Wait! Were making supper. You can stay for the night. But the guns stay outside!" Said the old man with snowy white hair.

Bohannon stepped out of the truck and took off his hat before he thanked the man. He then disarmed himself, and called for Sasha. The two then walked towards the house.

"The knife too." said the old man.

"Ehh, naw. I keep the knife. Helps me sleep better and puts me at ease. Compromise?" Bohannon asked.

The old man thought and then nodded in agreement.

Sometime later Bohannon and Sasha sat at the table with the farmer's family and a meal on his plate --a good meal.

"So, where ya heading?" Asked the old man now known as Hershel.

"Following my gut. It's telling me to get a farm around town and live a good life. I think it wants me to wait for something. I just don't know what, yet." Said Bohannon.

"Okay, If you have a map I can show you a few places. They're over run with the diseased folk but not many. You can put up a fence and you'll be good to go." Said the fat man named Otis.

Hershel gave him a stern look and then refocused on his meal. The room went quiet again and then the farmers youngest daughter, Beth, spoke up, "Mr. Bohannon. Are you related to Wilfed Bohannon of the Bohannon LLC. ?"

Bohannon tensed and then sniffled, "That's my father. But when he and my mother died, I lost everything. The last thing his theif of a bestfriend did for me, was help me get emancipated. I joined the army after that."

Beth smiled, "I thought I recognized the Mississippi accent. A friend of mine was from Meridian, Mississippi, like your family. So how'd you happen to be around here?"

She played with her food. Moving her carrots around with her fork.

"BethAnne…" said Hershel.

She looked at her father and mouthed 'What?'. She turned back to bohannon and awaited an answer

He chuckled and said, " After the Army, I became one of 94 US Marshals. I had just came off of leave and there were two cases open. I took the one in North Carolina. Shit went to hell while I was there, But I survived. Traveled south, meet some people. Lost some people. Eventually I made it here." He looked a bit Solemn thinking about Adelaide Kane. He didn't realize how much he felt for the woman until he parted from her.

Hershel sensed the melancholy and changed the subject. He realised that Charlus Bohannon wasn't a bad man, "What did you do in the Army and then as a US Marshal?"

"Haa, I was a Chemical specialist. We handled Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear events such as they one we're in now. I became an Airborne Ranger and then got into special operations. When My contract was up, I became a Marshal and had my own team tactical team."

"Hmm, You have to be a pretty smart man to get into jobs like that. What was your ASVAB score (military aptitude test)?" Hershel saw a young man. But Bohannon seemed like he had years of experience. He tried to trip him up, he tried to draw out the lie.

"I scored a 99. Highest possible score. You only need around 80 to join the chemical corps. " Bohannon replied. He picked up on Hershel's intent and let him dig as he pleased.

"Wilfred Bohannon's son should be around 21. They take 17 year old at minimum, in the armed forces. A four year contract at minimum. Half of a year of training in the Marshal basic training. How old are you, son?"

"21. I was 15 years old when I joined. Rich people could do as they please, like that. My dad's bestfriend felt regretful, so I helped him clear his concious and he help me join. I figured after I was fully trained, I would go back and kill the man that took everything from me."

Hershel nodded. He was pleased with the answers he got, but the ending about revenge worried him a bit. Sasha ate quietly as she stole glances at Hershel and Charlus. She had no Idea what they were talking about but she figured the Charlus was some trustfund kid from a big southern family with old money.

"I do have a question though. You have a stable, before the world stopped. Who was youy smith and does your smith have a farm?" Asked Bohannon.

"You can smith?" Asked the Farmers oldest daughter, Maggie

"I can. You need new shoes on those horses?" Bohannon asked.

Maggie perked up and looked expectant, " Well, yes. They need new shoes, their hooves need trimming. And they need a physical, if you can do that."

"I can do it all. I've taking care of horse since a kid." he replied

"Then I'll take you to Mr. Johansson's myself. The Barn also need new hinges and the --"

"Maggie!" Hershel snapped and stared daggers at his daughter.

"'I'm not a child anymore, daddy. And when you go, this farm will be mine. Let me take care of it." She said in a firm tone. Maggie looked at Bohannon and asked, " Are you a good man, Marshal Bohannon?"

"Mr. Bohannon is just fine, love. And as good as they come in this new world. You treat me right and I'll treat you the same. If you can get me to a smithery, I'll help you all out. If the farm has crop, I'll share it. I'm hard, but I'm fair." Said Bohannon

Maggie smiled ear to ear. "Then it's settled."

Bohannon took a bite of beef and smiled back. The young boy next to Beth looked hesitant and then asked, "M-Mr. Bohannon. My mother died. My father and two sisters are out there. I was wondering"

Bohannon's gut trembled and he immediately interrupted the boy, "I'll do it. My gut tells me that it's right and a Bohannon follows his gut… the question is...Are you coming with me?"