The sun began descending from the sky to be replaced with a blanket of deep blue speckled with constellations. Amelie sat at the bar for some time before moving to the table Mercer resided at and poured her another shot.
“Okay, I’ve thought about,” she said flatly, “Obviously I don’t need you or your help but I wouldn’t mind someone to help me get through Houston.”
“Ahh, then we’re on the same page,” Mercer replied with a smirk.
“Y’all plannin’ on staying the night?” the bartender questioned loudly.
“Are you open 24 hours?” Mercer asked sarcastically.
“Smartass!” accused the bartender frustrated, “Well if you are, you’d better get off your ass and help me board everything up.”
The bar door burst inward and Bo entered with his bow drawn, prepared to fire. Everyone became very still; Amelia’s hand tense ready to grab and throw a knife while Mercer calmly took another shot. He kept a tight grip on the string then slowly let the string come back to its resting position.
“It’s clear,” he announced loudly then Cassidy and Genna stepped through the doorway.
Bo let Cassidy and Genna advance past himself to a table and Bo followed, both Cassidy and Bo placed their weapons on the tabletop then took their seats.
“Hey boss man, can I get some of that shine?” Bo called to the bartender, “Oh and some water.”
“You have anything to trade?” the bartender questioned.
Bo pulled the Crown Royal pouch from his backpack, and from it the sterling silver cross necklace from it then held it high.
“That’ll do,” the bartender said excitedly and began to gather the items.
“Looks like we made it,” Bo stated with a smile, “Where are y’all gonna head now?”
“Houston,” Cassidy replied as the bartender placed several bottles of water and a mason jar of clear liquid on the table top.
“Why on earth would you wanna go there?” interrupted the bartender loudly causing the bar to fall silent.
“Well I don’t believe that any of your business,” Cassidy said defensively.
“I’m just gonna save you some trouble hun,” he said flatly, “Houston is over run, a dead zone. Anyone there is infected.”
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“That’s not true,” she said sternly placing her hand on her sister.
“So you’re headed to Houston huh?” Mercer asked as he stood from his chair and approached their table, Bo handed the bartender the necklace and he sulked away.
“That’s correct,” Cassidy replied as Bo eyed the man quietly as he spoke.
“Well it just so happens that we are going to be heading that way in the morning,” he stated gesturing to Amelia.
BANG! BANG!
On reflex, the bar’s patrons turned their heads along with their weapons in hand toward the loud sounds to find the bartender with a hammer and nails beginning to board the doorway.
“Any of you gonna help me?” he exclaimed, “You, girl with the hammer, start nailin’ the boards over the windows.”
Hesitating in her seat; unsure to leave Genna on her own, then Bo gestured for the hammer. Bo took the hammer and processed to the closest window, took a board leaning next to window and drove the nails, which were already in the board, into the frame around the window.
“So, where exactly in Houston did you want to get to?” Mercer quizzed as he took a seat at the table and took notice of Bo’s analytical eyes watching him as he boarded the window.
“Bartender, you get your hands on any tobacco?” Bo questioned loudly cutting off Cassidy from answering the stranger’s question.
“Depends on what you got to offer?” asked the bartender carefully.
“I got a gold ring,” he stated, “But I want all the tobacco you got and something to spit in.”
The bartender rushed eagerly away from his finished job behind the bar as Bo took the remaining empty seat at the table; the bartender returned and placed several bags of Redman Chewing Tobacco, two beat up packs of Marlboro Reds and a log of Copenhagen Straight along with an empty dusty beer bottle. Bo removed the gold wedding band from his Crown Royal pouch and handed it to the bartender; who examined it after rubbing it on his shirt then excitedly rushed away. Bo grabbed the pouch of Redman off the table then took a pinch of the leaf tobacco out of the pouch and placed it between his cheek and gum.
“Why are y’all goin’ to Houston?” Bo asked as he placed the bottle to his lips then spit, “You heard the bartender, it’s a dead zone.”
“Headed to the ocean,” Mercer replied, “Damn infected can’t get you on the water.”
“What about you?” Bo questioned to Amelia with his thick accent.
“I need to get to the coast,” Amelia replied simply.
“Well, are you going to join our little group?” Mercer asked, his charming smile aimed at Cassidy.
“If you can get me to the Baylor College of Medicine… Then yes.”
“I think we can make a detour,” he replied after a moment of contemplation followed by a smile.
“Alright!” the bartender announced, “Lights out, hit the pillows.”
Bo gestured Genna and Cassidy to the furthest corner of the bar from the rest of those populating its interior with a window on each side of the corner. Mercer and Amelia sat at a table close by with their almost empty bottle on the table top; Bo took a seat at their table as well and packing his tobacco and the mason jar of liquor into his backpack. Cassidy and Genna unrolled their bed rolls then stretched out in them as the long day sunk in and slumber took control.
The bartender emerged from behind the bar with an armful of partially melted candles and began to placing them throughout the bar; lighting them as he placed them on various tables throughout the bar. The eerie glow of the candles threw shadows into the dimly lit interior, once the candles were dispersed the bartender retreated behind the bar and through a door, the click of a deadbolt once the door was shut then silence filling the interior.