One Crazy Rescue by Michael Todd & Michael Anderle

Author:Michael Todd & Michael Anderle [Todd, Michael & Anderle, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781642021554
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2019-03-18T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

It was Ava’s watch until dawn so she wasn’t supposed to go to sleep anyway, but she was absolutely shocked that both Peppy and Manny were able to. Once it became clear that Cort’s restraints would hold, Manny joined Peppy. That left Ava and Gunnar to watch the man struggle for the next two hours.

And he never ceased his futile attempts. Not once. He strained constantly against the ropes and let his muscles go slack only long enough to shift his body and strain in another direction. It was, she thought more than once, a good thing he was gagged. Otherwise, he would surely have alerted the entire Zoo to their presence.

“Are you doing all right?” Gunnar asked after the two of them had stared at Cort for what felt like hours.

The question was too broad for her to even begin to know how to answer. “Am I doing all right?”

“Yeah. I mean, I know Peppy can be a bit of a downer and Manny is… Well, Manny’s Manny. I’ve gotten used to them, but I know they can be too much sometimes.”

Ava laughed. “After everything that happened yesterday, you’re worried about me because Peppy and Manny can be too much?”

He frowned as if he didn’t quite understand. “You look nervous, is all. The way I see it, you and I are the only two sane ones out here. Don’t get me wrong. I love Manny and Peppy like family, but they’re as weird as hell.”

“And you’re not?” she teased.

“Compared to those weirdos? Hardly. Wait, do you think I’m weird? How am I weird?”

“Well, for starters, there’s a crazed zombie man tied up in our camp, struggling to break free so he can poison us or call for help or God knows what else, and you ask me if I’m uncomfortable because of Manny and Peppy.”

“The Zoo’s the Zoo. You didn’t have to come back into this fucking crazy mess of a jungle, but you did. I mean, I know you’re doing all right because if you weren’t, you’d be dead. But Peppy and Manny are my friends. If they’re bothering you…” Gunnar shrugged.

“Yeah, well, they’re my friends too, I guess.”

He smiled. “That’s good, Ava. I like you. I think you’re a good addition to the team—better than the pencil-pusher, even before he was zomberried.” He gestured a thumb at Cort like he was a drunk who had passed out instead of a man who’d lost his mind to the Zoo.

“I like you guys too. Even if you’re all crazy.”

Gunnar winked. “Birds of a feather, Ava. Birds of a feather.”

She rolled her eyes at him, shocked that she could actually have this conversation while the lieutenant tried unsuccessfully to chew through his bindings.

They chatted for the next hour and occasionally took breaks to check the perimeter of the camp. Nothing attacked in the night, a small blessing. Despite Gunnar’s pointed derision of Cort, Ava continued to think about him—about what had happened and most of all, how they could help him.

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