[...Posted by Ted H]
I am FLYING through this NaNoWriMo...usually I'm so bogged down during November that I never even come close to the 50,000 word mark...this year is a completely different story. So much so that only posting updates once a week would create such a backlog of entries that I may never have to post anything else on this site until NaNoWriMo 2012....but instead Ill just increase the amount of posting I do for the month...enjoy!
Current status of my 2011 NaNoWriMo: 8,066 / 50,000 (41,934 words to go!)
Current pace has me writing my 50,000th word on: November 24th
Keep pace with me, join me if youre doing it too: http://nanowrimo.org/en/participants/reted/novels/safe-haven/stats
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[Safe Haven - Kate and Jezus]
“I ever mention how much I hate walking home?” Tucker said. One time long ago he said that exact phrase and someone laughed. One time. Now he makes a point to say it every damn time. Teto once made the effort to think about the statement and found it had a bit of truth to it…for people like Tucker, not Teto.
Teto was more concerned with getting out of Safe Haven when inside. Get in, drop off the goods, get the hell out. There was no need to screw around in there. Tucker and Jake however, they were all about stirring up as big of a hornets nest as they could if left unchecked. It wasn’t a major concern, just a difference in philosophies. Tucker would get amped up the whole journey into the city and be disappointed the whole way home.
“I see moonlight,” a Rogue said as the group exited the tunnel and emerged outside the walls of Safe Haven. Not right outside the walls, that would be idiotic, rather deep and concealed in the ruins of a city that used to be around before the apocalypse happened. Zombies still roam around, but most of them keep near the walls of Safe Haven, as if their fruitless clawing at the walls would one day topple the barrier.
Tucker climbed to higher ground and surveyed the area through his rifle then returned. “Mostly clear,” he whispered “Few here and there but odds are we won’t need to shoot anything.” Teto nodded as everyone geared up for the fun-run; a quarter mile hike through a barren wasteland of infected leading up to the Rogues camp.
No one talked as the group marched their way double file with Teto leading solo around the scarce undead. Anything that noticed the living would give chase but had no chance of catching a meal. Everyone had done the fun-run so many times they could do it running backwards and blindfolded so it never mattered that it was the middle of the night. The run culminated at the rebuilt and fortified barriers of an amusement park boat ride. The Rogues piled into a boat and ferried across the 10 yard moat to the other side. It was the only way in, and one of the only two ways out.
Teto stepped off the boat last, taking a moment to survey the number of bodies in the water. “A lot of them try to get in?” he asked the Rogues sitting guard. “No more than usual,” one of them responded “We’ll have someone clean them out in the morning.” The other guard was busy rolling what Teto first assumed to be a cigarette, but what could be anything. “Anyone want a hit?” he asked as he fished a lighter out of his pocket. Everyone ignored him as they walked on. “Go get some sleep you pussies!” he yelled as he lit up. Teto stayed behind and looked out in the direction of Safe Haven. You couldn’t see the walls from where the camp was but the ominous glow it gave off in the distance was unmistakable. He knew this would be the last time for a very long time he would see the city.
“Admiring the view?” Jake asked as he walked up next to Teto. “Almost time…” Teto trailed off saying. “You ready for tomorrow?” Jakes asked. Teto nodded “I’m ready,” he said “You sure you wanna come with though? From what you said, that girl might be in trouble down the line.” Jake shook his head, “She’ll be fine,” he said “She knows enough to stay out of sight and she’s got friends who could help here anyway.”
“Good,” Teto said with a smile “Cuz I wasn’t giving you a choice to stay behind.” Jake smacked Teto’s arm as he walked away. “Just don’t leave until I make a quick pit stop tomorrow,” he said. “What do you need to do that’s so important?” Teto asked. “Just don’t want to be caught unprepared,” Jake said as he continued away, swiping the other Rogues joint in the process. Teto laughed to himself over Jakes last statement as he turned back to regard Safe Haven‘s glow one more time. He figured humanity wasn’t doing too bad for itself despite being caught unprepared 13 years ago.
*************************
You’re a bad man,” Kate said as she watched John snort a line of coke and not invite her over for any. “Relax,” he said “Plenty more coming.” He then walked over to an old dresser and shifted it away from the wall. The cramped bedroom left little room to do so with both the large bed and end table taking up enough space on their own, but John had enough room to maneuver the dresser if Kate stayed on top of the bed.
After moving the dresser away, John removed some loose floorboards and reached into the floor for his gun. Out came a dirty magnum revolver with a plastic bag full of bullets. John checked the chamber and spilled some bullets from the bag into his pocket. “Pick up?” Kate asked with one eyebrow raised “Didn’t you just wrap one up last night?” John smiled. “Yeah, but no one else knows except for me, and maybe you now.” He replaced the boards and moved the dresser back against the wall. “Not gonna be any more drop offs for a while,” he said as he concealed the magnum in his belt “But my guy made a ton of drop offs around the outskirts. I just wanna check on them to make sure this shitty hand drawn map is accurate.”
John cracked the door open and peered out. “Little by little, we’ll distribute the goods as needed but no one needs to know we already have everything inside the city.” John opened the door and walked out as Kate trailed him. “So when do I get to meet this contact of yours?” Kate asked. “No,” John said.
“Why not?”
“Because he doesn’t want anyone else involved.”
“But you involve me all the time.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Forget this secrecy bullshit, I’m your fucking partner!”
“You’re not my partner. Now shut up about this.”
They exited the apartment and headed down the main stairwell. The place was a dump, but relatively held together enough to be one of the more popular places to live. Littered about were various people still sleeping from the night before while others were banging on doors, pleading to be let in. Talking about anything Rogue related out in the open was rarely a good idea so Kate knew better than to bother John any more over his contact, though John knew the conversation was hardly over. “Let’s get out of here already,” John said as he approached the front door “I got a bad feeling about-” Before he could finish, he opened the door to reveal a ResE waiting right outside.
For a moment neither said a word as John and the ResE maintained eye contact. John dropped his right arm to his side and contemplated how long it would take him to reach behind himself into his belt where the magnum was. As he started moving his arm up, Kate pushed passed him and threw her arms around the ResE. “Hello, Jezus,” she said as the two kissed.
“I saw you go in before,” Jezus said “Thought I’d wait for you a moment.” Kate smiled “How sweet,” she said before pulling away. “So…You bored?” she asked with a smirk. Jezus was about to say something but stopped himself as his eyes widened. “Shit,” he said “I got a meeting.”
Kate dropped the smirk and put on a pout “You did not just drop an excuse like that on me.” Jezus faked a smile “Forgot all about it, but the higher ups need to go over some shit with me because, if you haven’t noticed, my partner is kinda MIA.” Kate looked about, “Wait, what happened to Bell?” she asked as Jezus shrugged. “You know Juan,” he said “He wanders off sometimes chasing girls and hunting Rogues.”
“So he ran off with some slut. I’m sure he’ll turn up.”
“He didn’t exactly go missing chasing pussy. Stopped answering his radio while pursuing a Rogue.”
“Awe, really? And I was starting to hate him less.”
“I wouldn’t sweat it too much. We had a guy right on top of the Rogue most of the way. Him and the girl are missing though.”
“See? Once he stops humping he’ll turn up.”
“Juan may be an idiot, but he always knew enough to radio me if he was going to blow off the night raping someone.”
“Oh…one of THOSE kinds of humping. Well then I’m sure he turns up once he kills her.”
“Yeah well until then, I really need to be at this meeting.”
“Fine then. Be that way.”
“Hey, since I don’t have a partner, they might let me off duty for the next week or so.”
“Yeah?”
“That leaves me with a lot of free time.
“You mean ‘leaves US with a lot of free time’ don’t you?”
“Oh you know it. Just you…me…some hard liquor…”
“What should I wear?”
“Just wear that smile.
“You know what else I can bring?”
“I got a few ideas…” Jezus trailed off.
“You ok?” Kate asked.
“…Is he alright?”
“Wait, what?…Who?”
Jezus pointed over to John, who hadn’t moved since he saw Jezus. Kate rolled her eyes. “Don’t mind him,” she said “he’s…uncomfortable around ResEs.” Jezus winked over to John, who just stared evenly back at him. “Well, I should go,” Jezus said as he started away from Kate “I’ll let you know when I can get off.”
“You mean ‘get out’, right?” Kate asked. “That too,” Jezus said with another smile as he jogged away. Kate shook her head as she watched him go. “Are you done brooding?” Kate said as she turned back to John. John made a face before he finally started walking again. “Let’s just get out of here already,” he said.
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