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Chapter Forty Five

As soon as they crossed the order into Indiana, Danny felt like he was going to explode. The urges of him to break free and run from the van came quick and fast. He'd been dreading returning here since the trip started and the anxiety feed inside him had only boiled more to the top as they got closer and closer.

He'd worked hard to bury his past, all of this. He'd never wanted to come back here. He'd vowed to never come here, in fact, and now only was he back but headed for his hometown of Wabash.

The memories tried to force their way him so he pushed them back out. He demanded they leave and soon found himself in his cubby hole, hands pressing each side of his head, rocking back and forth.

There was something else too...

Maine...Maine...Maine...

The demands were back in his head, louder than ever, trying to guide him to his destination. It was different now. Before it had felt like eerie coincidences, but now these felt more like voices, like something was communicating with him.

I'm going fucking crazy, he muttered to himself.

He had been in his cubbyhole since the road block back in Iowa and yet it was as if he knew his surroundings. Illinois had been worse than Iowa. Danny had told them about "Cousin Manny" and, in doing so, come clean about Luis. Neither him or ScarLo had seemed to happy this had been kept from them.

"Goddammit, Danny", Tyrone had said. "That's need to know shit. What if your room mate had infected you?"

But the van hadn't stopped. They kept going so Danny supposed the trip was still on.

Tyrone had reporter that the same types of people like Luis and "cousin Manny" he'd described to him were roaming the streets, some stumbling around, most of them attacking each other. Once a load slamming had been heard against the van. Tyrone had cursed and immediately sped up. One of the... infected had run up to the van and started beating on it trying to get inside.

Danny had remembered the reports from weeks earlier: the two new hot spots of the new strains being Indiana and New York City. From what they were seeing, it looked like the reports were true and it had spread outward.

Danny could feel they were in Wabash now and as soon as he did Tyrone announced it.

"Almost here" Tyrone said.

Danny took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

Pull it the fuck together, he told himself. We'll be in and out and then you'll never have to come back to this place again.

About 10 mins later the van slowed, turned and the road changed. They were driving on a gravel drive way and then the van came to an abrupt stop.

"I'll be right back" Tyrone said, speaking to him ScarLo and then on the radio. "Just stay put".

That's what Danny had planned to do: just stay there. He had no desire to get out. The problem was he had to piss again and his Mountain Dew bottle was almost full.

He took a breath, hopped out of his cubby hole and opened the back door and stepped out.

The early afternoon sun hurt his eyes, but around him he was in a peaceful and quite yard surrounded by a brick and rod iron fence. There was no gate, just an entrance and he could see buildings beyond that. Surprisingly, everything seemed normal and he found himself thankful he didn't recognize any of it.

He unzipped his guard uniform pants and pissed and looked at the canopy of old trees that surrounded him. In the distance were old, faded tombstones making up a small grave yard and after he finished, he peeked around the van and saw the church.

It was a big, old stone church with beautiful stained glass windows. The stone was covered in moss. He didn't know the age of the church, but thought it must be at least 200 years old.

That's when he saw Tyrone emerge from the front of the church with another man. He couldn't see the man's face, but he was in a priest's outfit.

Danny listened quitely.

"So everything is in order, then?" Tyrone said to him.

The priest nodded.

"All the necessary documents are there, including the Immunity Pass as requested".

Tyrone nodded and sighed.

"...and once this is done everything will be good with us, right? I need assurances that--"

The priest grabbed Tyrone by the hands.

"Once this is done it will be done, my son. You will have nothing more to fear. You will have done your part and an important part it will be. You should be thankful. Not all get to serve Him like this".

Tyrone looked down. He didn't seem grateful to Danny. The conversation was unusual and didn't feel right.

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"I just--" Tyrone tried to speak.

"I know this is difficult" the priest said. "But it is also necessary. All you have to do is arrive safely. Everything else will be taken care of..."

"What about you? What will you do?"

"I'm leaving" the priest said. "It's not safe anymore and these walls can only hold off so much. I was only waiting for you. If it hadn't been for that, I would already be gone. I have a purpose of my own".

"Where will you go?"

"Same direction as you. He is calling me towards Vermont. Interesting things going on there that require attention".

Danny wondered what that meant. Tyrone didn't ask.

"I'll be taking a slightly difference path as you so I should get ahead. I should get there much quicker as I don't have to worry about the tracking on the road ways. I will let you know of anything you should avoid, just as I have been..."

The priest then motion to some gas cans sitting next to a tree.

"That's for you. Fill your van and take what's left".

"Thank you" Tyrone said.

"Just doing my part" the priest responded. "Perhaps we will see each other again, perhaps not".

Tyrone looked down again.

The priest laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"Cheer up, my son, your path is nearly at an end and great blessings will follow..."

The priest removed his hand and went to raise it in the air, almost like someone taking a swearing an oath in court. Tyrone followed the suit and both almost spoke before the priest suddenly turned and peered in the distance behind Danny, squinting.

Danny thought he'd been seen, but he hadn't. Not yet anyway. Danny turned and saw what the priest was looking at: two of the infected fighting with each other, making their trade mark noise. Danny turned back to the priest and Tyrone and the priest was looking right at him. He seemed to study Danny for a moment and then turned back to Tyrone.

"You better go" he said. "It's only going to get worse and where there's two of them there's bound to be many more".

Tyrone nodded and grabbed the gas. The priest went back inside.

He walked up to the car looking at Danny, also studying him. His face looked concerned, as if wondering how long Danny had been listening. Looking back, the wheels in his head seemed to be turning too, playing back in his mind exactly what he said.

"You should have stayed in the van" Tyrone said, filling the van. "He gets nervous around people he doesn't really know. Took me months to get his trust".

"Who is he?" Danny asked.

"My contract, remember?" Tyrone said. "Grab those cans, help me put them in the back".

Danny and Tyrone quickly loaded the gas cans. Tyrone looked back at the two infected. They were still occupied with each other and hadn't noticed them.

"Why would be be nervous of me?" Danny asked.

Tyrone shook the envelop and pulled out Danny's Immunity Pass. It looked flawless. Just like the real ones Tyrone and ScarLo had.

"You know how much trouble he'd be in if they found out he was making these?" Tyrone said, handing it over. "That's why".

"...and if you remember, I paid him handsomely for it. Just forked it all over when we were inside".

Tyrone said this deliberately laying some guilt on thick. Him and ScarLo were paying for the Pass for him. He didn't have the money for it. Maybe he shouldn't complain so much, he thought. They didn't have to be doing this for him.

"Sorry, I..."

Tyrone showed a half smile and sighed, slapping a hand on Danny's back.

"It's fine, man" he said. "Don't worry about it. It's been a long and stressful trip. Look me and ScarLo love you right? You know that? We've been through a lot together and you've become like family to us. We're so happy you're coming along with us and we want you to but Danny please... just.... trust us a little more, alright? Remember all we're doing to make this happen and that we're doing it because we want to".

Tyrone had succeeded in making Danny feel like shit. He looked on the ground. Tyrone frowned and clasped Danny on the back once again.

"Hey, at least you don't have to hide in that cubby hole anymore, Mr. Immunity" he said with a laugh. Danny tried to manage a smile and got in the back of the van. Tyrone got in the front and they sped towards an opposite drive way.

As they did the two infected took note. They raced towards the hole in the fence. Danny started to yell at Tyrone to speed up but just as they exited the property he watched as the infected got to the hole in the fence and stopped dead in their tracks, as if the fence really had been there all along.