Chapter 8: The Reunion
“Will you stop pacing, you’re making me anxious” Logan said to Mark. Mark sighed and stopped his pacing. His pulse was racing and even though he tried so hard to contain himself and look at ease.
“It’s hard okay” Mark said finally to Logan, “They think I’m dead or at least an undead. The chances that your search party actually found them was slim, I didn’t want to think about it and yet by some miracle they did find them. I just don’t know what to expect.”
Logan put his hand on Mark’s shoulder, “Look…sometimes things actually work out. I’m glad your party is safe, that means more people to help rebuild and make a community. My search party is back as well which means I can send them to solve the situation upstairs, especially now that we know what we are dealing with. And Mark, you had my back upstairs so I trust you more. I’m not saying you can go out in search parties yet but I’ll be having you do more than just chores from now on. Anyways, we need to talk to your friends and see what they know and then from there we can--.”
Logan was interrupted by a younger man who strolled up to them and said: “What’s up guys?”
Logan instantly turned to him a little frustrated “Anthony you’re late. You were supposed to be here 10 mins ago.”
Anthony shrugged sheepishly and said “Sorry bro, got held up. Since you’re talking, I’m guessing you’re not ready either.”
“Well be on time next time,” Logan said ignoring Anthony’s last comment, “and wait over there I got to finish talking to Mark.”
Logan pointed at the wall a few feet from them gesturing for Anthony to go there. As soon as Logan turned back to Mark, Anthony instantly made a gesture that Mark could only be interpreted as get a load of this guy before Anthony removed himself down the hall.
Mark smirked at the gesture before returning his attention to Logan and asked “Brother?”
“Yeah that’s my kid brother Anthony that I told you about earlier. He helps me out occasionally when I need him and since he’s almost 18 he thinks he practically runs the place. You know how kids are.”
Mark looked at Logan and then at Anthony and then back at Logan, he did see the resemblance; in the eyes and nose. “Huh so that’s why he looks familiar,” Mark muttered to himself, “So what is he helping you with today?”
Logan hesitated for a second before answering and Mark narrowed his eyes. Logan let out a sigh and said: “He’s going to be the one who talks to Rachel, okay.”
“What, no!” Mark almost shouted in disbelief. He lowered his voice a bit and continued speaking, “I should be the one. No offense to your brother but she’s my friend.”
“That’s exactly why I can’t have you speaking to her right away. It’s been almost a week since you have been here and she thinks you’re dead. She sees you and her brain is going to be flooded with what happened to you and not to mention the emotions that will kick in. At that time there’s no point in trying to get information out of her, she’ll be a wreck. That’s why Anthony goes in first, okay? He looks young and innocent and she’ll talk to him. Once we speak to all three of your friends then you can reunite but for now, Anthony speaks to Rachel.”
Mark tried to keep his cool but he was getting frustrated. “First off, Trent is not my friend so you can do to him what you did to me for all I care, and what you just expect me to wait here and twiddle my thumbs while you go integrate my friends? Come on Logan give me something.”
“You’re not just going to sit here okay” Logan said “I’m actually going to have you speak with the young boy that was in your group, Fin I believe you called him. I doubt he has much knowledge since he’s a child. I’m trusting you with that so will you cut me some slack, I still have an operation to run here.”
‘That kid is probably smarter than Trent’ Mark thought to himself but no point in giving Logan that information. He liked Logan and was starting to trust him but he didn’t need to know everything about Mark and his group yet. Mark swallowed and nodded slowly in agreement, his fiery anger dying out. Logan nodded as well “Okay then.”
“After Anthony speaks with Rachel, I can see her then?” Mark asked Logan.
Logan nodded his head “I just want to know what they know and then you can see them all okay? Fin is the third door on the right. I figured we would talk to them all separate until we feel like we know everything.”
‘Makes sense’ Mark told himself. As he walked to were Fin was being held, he turned back to Logan who was already walking over to his brother. “Hey Logan,” Mark said.
Logan turned around to look at Mark “Yeah?”
“Don’t go easy on Trent, make him suffer a bit as a favor to me.” Mark said with no remorse in his voice.
Logan smiled and it made Mark shutter slightly, the smile reminded him of a wolf or some type of dangerous beast. “You can count on it” Logan said before turning back to Anthony.
‘Probably making a game plan on how they should approach Rachel and Trent’ Mark thought to himself. With no plan in his mind, Mark gripped the knob of the door and turned it, opened the door and stepped inside. The door had barely closed behind him when a flash of metal came into Mark’s vision. Realizing it was a metal chair being swung at him, Mark quickly sidestepped out of the way and said “Got to be quicker than that Fin if you want to hurt me” a smirk coming across his face.
Fin had already started to prepare the chair to be swung again at the intruder when the voice and the figure standing before made him halt mid-swing. “Mark?” Fin said in shock and surprise.
Mark smiled more genuine and said in a softer voice “Hey buddy, you miss me?”
Fin instantly dropped the chair, the clanging echoing throughout the room, as he rushed forward and tackled Mark in a hug. Mark, a bit shocked by the hug for a second put his arms around Fin to return the hug. Fin pulled back, his eyes starting to tear up, his voice trembling a little as he said “I thought you were dead. Trent said you were killed.” As Fin tried to wipe away his forming tears and his nose, Mark could tell he was trying to be tough. Mark had to remember that Fin was still just a 12-year-old boy, who potentially lost both of his parents. Not to mention that he thought until a moment ago that one of the first people he met after the outbreaks and took care of him was dead. It was a lot to process for a 12-year-old. ‘Maybe Logan was right about Anthony talking to Rachel first’ Mark told himself. Focusing back on Fin who had managed to control his tears and nose, Mark spoke. “Trent is a liar Fin, he left me to die in the sewers and then probably told you that I got bitten or got pulled back down. Don’t ever trust him, okay Fin?”
Fin nodded slowly “I know he’s a snake. But because we started to get surrounded by zombies above ground, we had no choice but to listen to him and follow him. I felt so bad for leaving you and not helping, I’m sorry” Fin said letting his head drop in shame.
The sincerity and sorrow in Fin’s voice caught Mark a bit of guard. “No buddy, it’s not your fault. I don’t blame you at all.”
Fin looked up with relief and hope on his face “You mean it?”
“Of course, Trent is the only one to blame for this.” Mark said. He looked at the door and then back at Fin, “Now this group rescued me from the sewers but they are very cautious about newcomers. So, I need you to tell me what you guys have been up to since I’ve been missing.”
Fin shrugged and said “There isn’t much to tell you since you had the keys there was no way to use the car. Instead, Trent took charge and said that we should crash in a building. With his hurt leg, he couldn’t move much or do much so it was up to Rachel and me to try and find food and other supplies. That’s pretty much what we have been doing the past few days, everything has kind of been blurring together. Anyways on our last supplies run we ran into your group. They convinced us that they had supplies and protection if we wanted to join them. Since we weren’t having much success with food and we were constantly having to avoid zombies, we agreed to come if we could bring Trent. Boy was he not happy about not being consulted before we agreed. They blindfolded us as we got close and then they split us up. That’s pretty much all I know.”
Mark listened to everything Fin said and asked the one question that had been on his mind the whole time. “So, Rachel is okay?”
Fin nodded, “Mentally I don’t know, it’s been kind of hard for her with you being dead and all. She seemed out of it half the time, not that it stopped Trent from trying to comfort her and be lovey-dovey with her. He seems like an overall useless person who likes to be in charge just so he can boss people around. He would constantly give me glances as if asking why I was there.”
Mark nodded “Well, I’m glad that Rachel is fine, though that’s Trent for you. I’ve butted heads with that guy over the years ever since Rachel started dating him in high school. He’s a pretty selfish dude who’s power hungry. Don’t worry, I’ll deal with him later.”
Fin looked worried and hesitantly asked “You’re…you’re not going to kill him are you Mark?”
Mark chuckled slightly “No, I’m not going to kill him but I bet he’s definitely going to be surprised when he sees me.”
Mark and Fin talked back and forth for a few more minutes before there was a knock on the door and Logan appeared in the doorway. He jerked a nod at Mark, motioning Mark to follow him outside the room. Mark turned to Fin and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.” Fin nodded in reply and Mark followed Logan out of the room.
“So, any information from the kid?” Logan asked right away.
“You mean Fin,” Mark said a little annoyed “he has a name.”
“Yes sorry, did Fin tell you anything?” Logan asked crossing his arms against his chest.
“Nothing really exciting, just what happened to them after they left the sewers up to the point where they met your search party. Did you really need to blindfold them?”
Logan sighed “You can never be too cautious Mark, people have a tendency to do what’s best for themselves over others, you give people an inch and instead they take a mile. Better to be careful and safe than to be dead.”
Mark looked at Logan for a hard minute, making Logan raise his eyes and ask “What?”
“Cynical much dude? Geez lighten up” Mark said playfully punching Logan in the arm. Logan chuckled slightly and responded “Maybe I am a little too cynical sometimes” his voice grew a little more serious as he continued “but I have others I have to think of as well.” Mark thought about that for a moment and shrugged “That’s fair enough. By the way, how did things go with Rachel and Trent?”
Logan chuckled again, “Oh Trent had a great time. Pretty stubborn guy when he doesn’t get his way and realized that I’m in charge and not the other way around. A few cold buckets of water and some healthy slaps across the face helped him see my way through. Sang like a bird in fact. Rachel was pretty helpful. She explained everything that happened the past few days, though she is still grieving over your death, I think. She blames herself for making you come to Las Vegas.”
Mark’s initial smile of Trent’s interview slowly faded to a troubled frown as Logan talked about Rachel. “She’s not to blame, Trent is.” Mark said clenching his fists.
Logan put a hand on Mark’s shoulder “Well let’s set the record straight then.”
Mark let out a breath slowly, trying to calm down his fast beating pulse and unclenched his fists. He nodded and he and Logan made their way down the hall. “I let them both be in the same room after they both talked. I doubt Rachel will be any problems but I’ll come in just in case Trent is.” Logan mentioned as they got to the door.
“I don’t mind if Trent causes a problem” Mark said, “it would just give me an excuse to sort him out.”
Logan smirked at the comment “I’ll still come in, maybe to stop you from hurting Trent too much.” He opened the door and Mark followed after him, closing the door behind him.
ns 172.69.59.32da2
and then Add to home screen.