American Apocalypse IV - Chapter 15a - by Nova

I turned around slowly and started back towards them while quietly saying "Tell me about these bodies."

Juan replied just as slowly "You don't know?"

Jesus looked at him and said something fast in Spanish. I caught "Federales" and the look in his eyes told me even more. This guy was scared shitless. My hand was slapping leather at the same time they decided to bolt.  Juan changed his mind when I drew on him. My problem was I was facing them and they both gone in different directions.  Juan had gone to my left, well he had attempted to, Jesus had gone the other way and had caught me in an awkward position. I was backing up trying to swing enough around so I could get both weapons pointed in the right direction without being off balance and turning my back on Juan.

I did it but it took a couple beats. While I was doing that a big fast moving fur blur crossed my peripheral  vision. Woof had finally decided to get off his ass and provide some backup.  Juan and I watched Woof hit Jesus like a four footed land shark and take him down hard. I saw the plea in Juan's eyes for me to stop Woof. I shrugged and told him "Talk to me. Now."

He swallowed hard and shook his head "No."

"What?"  I was incredulous. "Look. I have somewhere I need to be. You, I hope, want to live. Talk and you can go."

Jesus picked up the volume on his screaming for a second. "Nice timing Woof" I thought. He switched to gurgling as Woof got past his guard and ripped his throat out.

"You really let me go?"

I really wanted to kill him about then but I wanted to know about the bodies. "Yes. Stop fucking around."

In the background a bone cracked. I stepped back as Juan threw up.  While he was puking Zane called for me "Is Woof okay? Can I..."

"No! Keep your ass in the truck."

I told Juan "You got five seconds to quit puking and start talking." Then I started counting. He hadn't eaten much lately because he was talking by the time I said "Three."

"Pardon" he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and I stayed where I was. His breath stunk. "Me and Jesus" he gestured in Woofs direction without looking. "We worked in a chicken plant not far from here.  Everyone left when the power went out.  We didn't." He shrugged "We had no car and no money.  We stayed and ate chicken until it made us throw up.  Then we ate the rats. We did what we had too." He made a quick sign of the cross and continued "We tried robbing but we didn't have guns. That was not good. We were..." He paused, obviously searching for the English word and gave up "Rats. We had to go. We found a car and we were going to drive to El Salvador. We made it not far from here."

"Can we move this along. I really want to move." I was getting that feeling, The one that told me it was time to go."