Kody Boye - Sunrise

Disturbed by the notion, Dakota stepped forward and offered a second smile. “You care if I sit by you?”

“Go ahead,” Ian said.

Taking his cue, Dakota seated himself on the floor beside Ian and watched Steve circle the bus a second time. His thoughts in knots and his stomach threatening to do a barrel roll, he tore his eyes away from his friend and looked at the man beside him. “Where’d you get them?”

“What?”

“Your eyes.”

“They’ve always been there, kid.”

“I meant what side of your family.”

“My Dad’s.”

“They’re beautiful.”

“Whatever,” Ian grunted, grimacing as another bead of blood flowed down his arm. “Care to do me a favor? Fix my arm up if you’re not doing anything right now.”

“I’m not,” Dakota said, rising to make his way toward the bus. He stopped in midstride. “You need anything else?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. A drink of water, medicine…”

“Water would be nice.”

At least he’s straightforward, he thought, taking a step into the vehicle.

A moment later, after combing through the packs and finding the first aid kit and a bottle of water, Dakota stepped out of the bus kneeled at Ian’s side. He popped the cap off the water, tipped it to the man’s lips, then got to work, first sterilizing, then applying cotton over the wound—which, though not completely severe, would not fare well if left untreated.

“Where did you come from?” Dakota asked, measuring a length of bandage.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, where were you guys?”

“North. In the city.”

“What’s up there?”

“Zombies,” Ian said. “Cars. Some food. A few guns.”

“I’m guessing there’s not much more than that.”

“Nope. Not at all.” Ian paused when Dakota began to wrap his arm up. “You know where you guys are going?”

“Steve said south.”

“Toward the army base?”

“I forgot there was an army base down there,” Dakota said.

“We’re not going to the base,” Steve said, slamming the hood down. “At least, not yet.”

“Your buddy doesn’t have a clue where to go,” Ian whispered. “Does he?”

“No one knows a lot of anything,” Dakota sighed. He pinned the bandage into place and began to reload everything into the kit. “We’re just trying to figure out where to go.”

“You care if I come with?”

“He’s not coming with!” Steve called out. “Not after what he did.”

“He’s not an asshole,” Dakota whispered. “He wouldn’t leave you here.”

Ian snorted.

You may not trust him, Dakota thought, but even you wouldn’t leave behind someone like him.

No. He wouldn’t leave Ian here, especially not after what had happened three years ago, when he came home from the desert with a mark on his heart and his hand to his chest. Three bones had been broken.

A soldier was no use if he couldn’t fire his gun.

“You won’t leave him here,” Dakota whispered. “You won’t.”

Steve looked up from a map on the table. “Bullshit I won’t.”

“His arm’s a mess, Steve. He can’t fend for himself.”

“He’s an ignorant prick who let someone bully him into doing something he didn’t want to do. I’m not taking him with us. Besides, his arm’s fine. It’s just a flesh wound.”

“Just like yours was?”

Steve froze. His eyes rose and his jaw clenched together. “You’re telling me,” he began a moment later, “that my arm was just a flesh wound?”

“It wouldn’t have killed you.”

“My arm was almost amputated because it was so bad.”

“It wouldn’t have killed you though.”

“You’re not getting the point. My humerus was almost snapped in half, and you’re saying it couldn’t’ve killed me? That’s bullshit and you know it. I could’ve bled to death.”

“Steve—”

“I love how you’ve just turned this situation around just to make me look like an asshole.”

“I’m not saying that.”

“I don’t give a fuck, Dakota. It’s bad enough that you want to take an ex con with us, but now you’re belittling my injury? I could’ve died out there.”

“Look,” Dakota said, raising a hand. Steve tried to slap it aside, but Dakota took a steady hold of his friend’s upper arm, sighing when his thumb traced the ugly scar under his shirtsleeve. “I’m just…confused, not sure what to do.”

“We leave him.”

“We can’t just leave him here. That’s like…like what they did to you.”

“My unit thought I was dead.”

“They still would’ve left you behind if you hadn’t called to them.”

Steve remained silent. Head bowed and eyes closed, he reached up to grip Dakota’s arm. He took hold of his wrist and gently pried it away, careful not to apply any unneeded pressure.

“It still hurts,” Dakota said, “doesn’t it?”

“It always hurts,” Steve muttered. “It’s always gonna hurt.”

“I’m just glad you’re ok.”

“I am too, bud.” He paused, then smiled and said, “I ever tell you you were the first thing I thought of when the bomb went off?”

“No.”

“Well, you were.” Steve chuckled, though the sound held no amount of joy. “I thought I was gonna die. The only thing I could think about was how you’d take the news.”

“I’m alive because of you, Steve.”

“I know, little brother. I know.” Steve wrapped an arm around Dakota’s side and pulled him into his chest. “You listening to me? We’ll take him with us. Just promise me you’ll watch him.”

“I promise,” Dakota whispered.

He bowed his head into Steve’s chest and closed his eyes.

Such moments were to be treasured. They were so easily lost.

“We’re gonna take you with us,” Steve said, “but you have to agree to a few things.”

Ian waited. Dakota thought the man would nod, but he didn’t; he simply stared at Steve with the same cold eyes he’d had since he’d been tied up.

“You listening?” Steve asked.

“I am,” Ian said.

“You stay put,” Steve began, “and you stayed tied up, at least for now. You listen to whatever either of us tells you. No talking back, no bullshit. If you try to run, we’re shooting you in the back.”

“I’m not going nowhere.”

“Good. If and when we decide to untie you, we’ll talk about it then. For now though, just listen to what we say and do what we tell you to do. Dakota may think you’re worth saving, but I don’t trust you, not one bit. You’re gonna have to prove yourself to change my opinion.”

“Sounds right. What’s your plan?”

“The moon’s going to be out tonight, so we’re going to take full advantage of it. We’ll take the highway for three-hundred miles toward Arcburrow. We should have enough fuel to make it there. I siphoned the gas out of the rest of the buses.”

“What if we don’t have enough?” Dakota asked.

“There’s stops along the way. We can make it.”

“What happens if we get stranded in the middle of nowhere?” Ian asked. “What then?”

“We won’t get stranded. It’s a one-way shot.”

“And the zombies?”

“Won’t be able to keep up with us,” Steve finished.

“All right then,” Ian smiled. “When we leavin’?”

“Just before the sun sets.”

Night washed over the horizon like a fresh tide to a sparkling beach, along with a sense of dread unlike anything Dakota had ever felt. While Steve helped Ian onto the bus, struggling with his broad shoulders and his equally muscled weight, Dakota stared out of the garage and tried to imagine what life would be like away from the town he had grown up in his entire life.