The rain blew in hard, hot and salty as blood. Daniel didn’t care. Here he was, come all this way, and not a zombie to be found. Anything was good, Daniel missed out. A life of miserable disappointments.

He looked at Tobey and Cleo. They were difficult to see in the flickery light, all blurry and smudged, but he could make them out well enough.

“Bet I could kill me a zombie, one on one, straight up, and I’d like to try. You think I could kill me a zombie?”

Neither Tobey nor Cleo answered.

“I ain’t shittin’, I could take me a zombie. Take me a vampire, too, only here we are and I gotta waste my time with this lame shit. I’d rather be huntin’ zombies.”

He pointed at Tolley.

“Hey, boy.”

Daniel returned to the bed and shook Tolley awake.

“You think I could take me a zombie, head up, one on one?”

The red eye rolled, and blood leaked from the shattered mouth. A mushy hiss escaped, so Daniel leaned closer. Sounded like the fucker was finally openin’ up.

“Say what?”

Tolley’s mouth worked as he tried to speak.

Daniel smiled encouragingly.

“You hear that wind? I was a bat, I’d spread my wings and ride that sumbitch for all she was worth. Where’d they go, boy? I know she tol’ ya. You tell me where they went so I can get outta here. Just say it. You’re almost there. Give me a hand, and I’m out your hair.”

Tolley’s lips worked, and Daniel knew he was about to give it, but then what little air he had left hissed out.

“You say west? They was headed west? Over to Texas?”

Tolley was dead.

Daniel stared at the body for a moment, then drew his gun and put five bullets into Tolliver James’s chest. Nasty explosions that anyone staying behind would have heard even with the lion wind. Daniel didn’t give a damn. If someone came running, Daniel figured to shoot them, too, but nobody came—no police, no neighbors, no nobody. Everyone with two squirts of brain juice was hunkered down tight, trying to survive.

Daniel reloaded, tucked away his gun, then took out the satellite phone. The cell stations were out all over the city, but the sat phone worked great. He checked the time, hit the speed dial, then waited for a link. It always took a few seconds.

In that time, he stood taller, straightened himself, and resumed his normal manner.

When the connection was made, Daniel reported.

“Tolliver James is dead. He didn’t provide anything useful.”

Daniel listened for a moment before responding.

“No, sir, they’re gone. That much is confirmed. James was a good bet, but I don’t believe she told him anything.”

He listened again, this time for quite a while.